Kingdom Hearts: The Dark Rule
by Marjorie Franklin
Summary: During The Great War the Dark Realm proved superior. The world is now eclipsed within a dark era dictated by Dark Overlords & their Dark Knights. The Dark Knight Terra has fallen in love with the one person he could never have. A light his dark hands could never truly possess. How could she love a Dark Knight? How could Aqua care for one of the knights she vowed to hate forever? AU
1. Knights in Black Satin

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the cover image in any way, shape, or form.

**Kingdom Hearts: The Dark Rule **

**Chapter 1 **

**Knights in Black Satin **

Terra knelt in submission on elaborate, crimson carpet at the feet of his three High Elders. The three white haired men sat in large extravagant black thrones before him. Xehanort sat stoically in the center, in a slightly more elevated chair with Ansem to his right and Xemnas to his left.

"Eraqus and his _students_ are becoming a problem," the oldest man with orange eyes stated as he brought his white gloved hand to his bearded chin.

"What would you have us do about it?" his finest Dark Knight questioned as he brought his deep blue eyes up to look at The Dark Overlords.

"Imprison those that cannot seek redemption," Ansem stated as his fingers dug savagely into his armrest.

"We shall decide later which ones shall be rehabilitated," Xemnas added as he firmly crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"You, Axel, and Vanitas shall _visit_ Eraqus and bring him to us. His time has expired. He is a threat to us, this world, and all that we have worked so hard to establish." Xehanort commanded Terra.

"Of course sire," Terra bowed obediently before the men that had raised him.

"Do not misunderstand us. That was an order for a Purge," Ansem stated to remove any doubts about Terra's assignment.

Terra's lips curved upward in a delighted sneer. He was going to enjoy this.

* * *

Aqua was nervous. The man who had raised her as his own had called for her to come speak with him in private. The girl with cobalt hair did not know what to expect but she had a terrible feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

Her hand hesitated before she finally knocked on the large, white throne room doors.

"You may enter," she heard her caretaker call from within the massive room.

"Hello Master," Aqua said as she began making her way toward Eraqus who stood in front of the three empty thrones.

Aqua walked through the empty but extravagant room where the Mark of Mastery exams were once held. The exam that keyblade apprentices took before becoming full-fledged keyblade masters if they passed. The room had once been filled of life and promise was but now the room was empty and lamented.

Despite the abandonment and neglect the room was still beautiful in Aqua's eyes. Golden floors and wall paneling outline the room while massive elaborate stain glass windows greet visitors with intricate, colorful designs.

"Good afternoon Aqua," Eraqus smiled as the girl with sapphire hair approached him.

"You…you wanted to talk to me about something?" she reluctantly inquired.

"Yes. It is about the Dark Overlords and their knights," Eraqus began.

Aqua repressed a cringe. She knew all about the monarchs and their so-called _knights_. They were nothing but bullies disguised as keepers of _order_ and_ peace._ After The Great War between the Denizens of Light and the inhabitants of The Dark Realm the world changed. The Light lost and those that basked in the Light were forever damned. Stricken down and oppressed until they could never seek to oppose The Dark Realm and their new council called The Dark Rule ever again.

The azure girl never knew the old world. The world bathed in Light. The world she had only heard stories and legends of. A place where dark knights did not lurk within the shadows waiting to snuff out even the smallest glimmer of light. A Gaia where demonic seers did not foresee and control the future. A world Aqua had never laid eyes on but desperately wanted to acquire.

"What about them?" she almost scoffed as she laced her fingers in front of her.

"I believe they shall come for me soon. My time runs short. Because I was once friends with the Dark Overlords, before the war, I have been spared for years," he began explaining as he walked with dignity towards one of the stain glass windows within the throne room.

"However, I fear their neglect is coming to an end. They can no longer avoid my _guilt," _Eraqus spat as he began stroking his thin beard.

"Master…I don't understand," Aqua said softly as she shadowed him, making her way to the window behind him.

"I served the Light many years ago. I fought for it during and even before the war. And as you know I still do and because of that I shall be persecuted," the old master said as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

"They have their seers. I am sure they have seen how I have been raising all of you," Eraqus continued "And I am quite certain they do not approve. Why they have yet to act I do not know. The savages they call seers have their reasons for waiting for certain events to unfold," Aqua watched as Eraqus's fists clenched tightly as his sides.

"Aqua, they have Purged and imprisoned Master Yen Sid and Sora," he spoke so softly the cobalt-eyed girl barely heard him.

Aqua gasped and covered her mouth with one of her graceful hands. _No…Kairi will be devastated…_the young woman thought to herself.

Suddenly everything made brutal sense. If the Dark Overlords had decided to imprison Yen Sid then surely Eraqus was next.

Like Master Eraqus, Master Yen Sid was also one of the last servants of Light. They had both fought for the Light many years ago during the war and had both refused to give up on it despite The Dark Rule.

The Masters did not broadcast their alliance with the Light…no, that would have gotten them imprisoned or executed much sooner. However, it was still clear Yen Sid and Eraqus did not accept the Darkness as almost everyone else had. They were the minority… That was why they had lived in seclusion for years. To escape The Dark Rule and to avoid the contamination that came with it, but apparently there was no escaping the eyes of the Overlords…not anymore.

"I…understand," she finally said with pain filled eyes.

Aqua did not want this. It was all too much. She did not want to lose her Master…her father…

"What about us? What are we suppose to do!" Eraqus jumped at Aqua's sudden outburst.

"Ventus will be with all of you. I am confident in his abilities as well as yours," her elder told her as he gently placed an aged hand on her bare shoulder. "Everyone looks up to you, Aqua. That is why I have informed you first. Kairi and Namine are still too young to understand the situation as you do. I wanted you to be prepared Aqua and I want you to be strong."

The azure girl nodded even though she did not believe she could be strong. Aqua had known this day was coming. She knew Eraqus was too kind to survive within in the sinister world they inhabited. Aqua had just been living in denial for years…

"Who is going to tell Kairi about Sora?" Aqua sincerely asked even though she did not want to be the one to break the news to her.

"I suppose I will," he answered as he made his way out of the throne room with Aqua on his heels.

* * *

Aqua fidgeted nervously as she began making the trek to her room. She had no idea how to break the news to her companions. _"Hey? How is everything going? Oh by the way, Master Eraqus is about to get Purged! Isn't that great?" _

The young woman dreaded their arrival…Aqua hated the tools everyone admirably called their _Dark Knights. _The men that conducted the Purges, those that extinguished any and all Light, they would be coming for Eraqus soon. Aqua doubted her master would even get a trial at The Palace of Retribution in Hollow Bastion, the Overlords would see to that. They wanted Eraqus put away and they would see to it that he would never see the light of day again. They always got what they wanted…

Aqua had never actually _seen _the Dark Knights up close. Eraqus had always done a wonderful job of keeping all of his adopted children away from any negotiations he had with the dark monarchs and their muscle. But Aqua had heard rumors of them.

Everyone knew about them, especially the ones that participated in Purges.

Terra, Vanitas, Axel, Saix, and sometimes Roxas were the men that would Purge helpless victims from their homes to be sent off to their death or to high security prisons if they were lucky. If you saw Vanitas or Terra, it usually meant the matter was of top priority. Those two were the big guns; at least that was what she had heard from the places she had visited…

The Purge was the Dark Overlords way of keeping those that served the Light in line. It was a technique they used to scare people into becoming fully devoted to them. The concept was simple, if you did not use dark powers, if you were with the resistance group The Opposition, if you wielded any keyblade other than a dark keyblade, if you showed any sign of disapproving of The Dark Rule, or if you simply_ looked_ at a Dark Knight the wrong way you would be executed or held prisoner. The lives of many innocent people had been taken during Purges. The Purge while effective, was not entirely accurate when it came to its victims. The Overlords and The Dark Knight were not picky when it came to their prey. As long as the message was gotten across they did not care who suffered at the hands of the Purge.

The cobalt-eyed girl finally reached her room. She gently shut her white door and resisted the urge to cry as she leaned against the vibrant, wooden door. The sound of laughter reached her ears and she walked to her window. Kairi, Ventus, Namine, and Xion were all outside playing, completely oblivious to the doom that slowly approached them.

Namine was drawing something in her sketch pad with Kairi sitting elegantly next to her while Xion and Ventus sparred with their keyblades.

Aqua could feel their peaceful secluded life slipping through her fingers.

Her reflection in her full-length mirror on the other side of the room tempted her peripheral vision. Big blue eyes glanced over her shoulder at her reflection. A girl with long, lush blue hair looked back at her. Wavy, cobalt locks cascaded just beyond her breasts. Bangs framed her angular face and her shimmering, indigo eyes.

She wore a tight, white tube top with string like straps that tied behind her elegant neck. The garment wrapped snugly around her feminine curves. A long, loose, and vibrant blue skirt hung low on her hips allowing small amounts of skin to peak out over it. The skirt had slits on the outside of both of her legs allowing her to move nimbly and freely. The girl needed mobility to wield her keyblade and to use magic.

The Overlords had agreed to let Eraqus and his students wield keyblades, but only as a hobby. They were not allowed to participate in or gain the Mark of Mastery. That was a privilege that only Dark Knights or those from The Dark Realm received now. Wielding for the realm of Light or with the Opposition was strictly forbidden and would have dire consequences. Aqua always assumed they only allowed the practice to continue so they could use it as a reason for Purge later.

She laid face down on her large blue and white bed spread for what seemed like an eternity. The young woman refused to get up until she got her emotions under control. After she had counted her ivory ceiling tiles for the tenth time, Aqua sighed heavily and decided to go out, put on a brave face, and address her friends.

By the time she exited the dorm like castle her friends had not moved, but Master Eraqus was with them now. He was likely giving them a less detailed version of why he was probably about to be Purged, or telling Kairi that Sora had been imprisoned. Maybe both.

The blue-haired maiden reached her diverse, unusual family. Aqua instantly looked at Kairi. Her beautiful deep blue eyes were distant and cold. Kairi did not look surprised by what Eraqus was speaking of, but she did appear hurt.

"Ventus, you and Aqua are the eldest so I expect you two to continue practicing and looking out for one another even if I am forced to leave you all," Eraqus spoke solemnly as Ventus and Aqua's eyes met.

Aqua and Ventus were Master Eraqus's eldest students. They were both eighteen years of age, but Ventus was a few months older than the female keyblade wielder. Namine and Kairi were both fourteen and Xion had recently turned sixteen.

Kairi and Aqua had been with Eraqus the longest. Aqua barely remembered their biological parents and Kairi did not remember them at all. Their whole lives they had depended on each other. Kairi was all Aqua had left of her original family. All they had was each other before Eraqus took them in. Their parents were killed during a Purge, after that they aimlessly traveled the world scavenging for food and sleeping in alleyways or boxes if they were fortunate enough to find them. When they weren't hunting for food to survive on or looking for a place to sleep, they were hiding from The Dark Knights. They did not want to end up like their parents...or worse be recruited to become Dark Knights. The Dark Rule had a habit of taking in orphans to serve as Dark Knights or to become seers...they would find a way to use them...

One day Master Eraqus found them dirty and curled up next to filthy garbage cans. He offered to give them something to eat and eventually offered them a home. After that life had meaning again. Aqua was given hope. She would forever be in indebted to her Master for the life he had given her and her younger sister.

A few years later Ventus, Xion, and Namine were added to the family. Their story was similar to Aqua and Kairi's, they too were orphaned and alone after a Purge.

"Isn't there something we can do?" Namine asked as she clutched her sketch pad tightly in her small, pale hands.

"You know there is nothing to be done about _them," _Ventus hissed as his eyes narrowed and bore holes into the earth.

"If they come for me I want you all make me a promise" their old master instructed as he looked at each of his students.

"Anything," Xion answered for everyone.

How could they deny the man of anything after he had taken them in and raised them as his own? The man who had given them so much and had offered them sanctuary and happiness.

"Do _not_ fight them," he coldly commanded as he gazed sternly at each of his pupils "Do _not _resist them. Do _not _give them a reason to take you as well. That was how Sora was Purged. He fought for Master Yen Sid."

Aqua and Ventus nodded while the younger girls all called "Yes Master."

* * *

Kairi was not surprised by the news of Sora's Purge. The last time she saw Sora and Master Yen Sid they had suspected a Purge. Kairi's most recent visit to Twilight Town had been cut short because of it. Sora had insisted that she go back to The Land of Departure where she would be safe. _Well safer…the world in general was not safe anymore. _

The red-haired girl often visited Twilight Town and Master Yen Sid in order to harness her keyblade and magic skills. Yen Sid and Sora could teach her things that her Master could not. The visits became more frequent as she and Sora bonded. As time went by Sora began teaching her more than Master Yen Sid.

Now that he was gone and her Master thought he was about to be Purged as well, Kairi was not sure what to do with herself. She was getting scared. Sora was sure she would be Purged if she was in Twilight Town at the time of the pending Purge. Now Master Eraqus was demanding that Aqua keep a close eye on her.

Kairi knew she was unusual. She had always known she was special. A prodigy. That was why she was sent to Twilight Town. Master Eraqus did not want her to be limited. He wanted her to learn all that she could even if he was not the one teaching her. Yen Sid could also teach Kairi more advanced techniques. Eraqus would have to wait for his other students to catch up while Yen Sid could teach Kairi higher level craftsmanship.

What took most students months to master, Kairi could master in a few weeks or even days. Sora would always get frustrated at her progress, especially when it surpassed his. She smiled at the thought…

The petite redhead peered up at her older sister. Aqua looked nervous and that was making her nervous. Kairi never got nervous. She had always been free-spirited and carefree, but all of this was even starting to get to her.

_Will I be Purged? Will they take me too? Everyone seems to think so…_

* * *

"Let's go!" Terra called to his comrades as he secured his pronged helmet. He was getting impatient. He was ready to do this. Terra loved conducting Purges and he would always anxious before each one he participated in.

"What's your hurry asshole?" Vanitas asked as he straightened the gauntlet on his large hand.

"You know I am not a patient man," Terra answered curtly and Vanitas just chuckled darkly.

Axel rolled his green eyes at the rivalry between the better of the Dark Knights. Terra was considered the best of the best, but Vanitas had always been determined to surpass him.

"Ready when you are ladies," Axel teased as he tugged his blackened hood over his vibrant hair and secured his silver mask over his eyes.

Terra laughed at his friend's joke while Vanitas huffed before boarding the airship.

"Terra," an elderly voice gently called from a short distance.

"Sir?" Terra answered as he whirled to face Lord Xehanort.

"I have decided to accompany you. A last-minute decision has been made concerning one of Eraqus's students." Xehanort explained as he slouched forward and locked his arms behind his back.

"Pardon me Lord Xehanort, but I thought we were only dealing with Master Eraqus?" Terra politely inquired.

"We were, but after conversing with the seers once more we have decided to deal with the matter today," the sinister overlord said gruffly as he passed Terra and boarded the ship behind Vanitas.

Terra did not question the decision. The Dark Knight was their muscle. He was not used to make decisions. That was not his job. His opinion was invalid. More importantly, he was not to question his Lord or the decisions made by the Seer Sages. The Seer Sages were the beings that could see the past, future, as well as potential futures. Each seer was different with different abilities. The Dark Overlords used all of them to control and predict the future and apparently dealing with the student today would prove useful to the future his Lords were aspiring for.

* * *

About a week had passed since Master Eraqus had informed his apprentices of his potential Purge and Aqua was starting to gain hope that her master had been mistaken.

Aqua was casually sparring with Ventus when they heard it. It was the sound of an airship colliding mercilessly with the earth. Only those from The Dark Capital of Hallow Bastion had airships. Their eyes locked before they both wildly sprinted in the direction of the spine-chiling sound.

By the time they reached the gateway of their home their father figure was already halfway down the immense, lavender stairway. Master Eraqus awaited his visitors at the bottom of the immense stone stairway that led to the castle he and his students inhabited.

The massive airship door opened as steam hissed and clouded around the men emerging from the ship.

Lord Xehanort exited the elaborate ship first and was quickly followed by two men clad in thick ebony armor that rattled and clinked harshly as they walked. Aqua could not see their faces for they each wore unique helmets and facial coverings.

The knight to Xehanort's right wore armor stained with blood. Red streaks outlined the massive muscles on his chest and abs. Vermillion gauntlets smother his coal-black hands. His helmet was smooth and rounded with a jagged silver beard that latched onto the bottom of it. Deep crimson was the only color on the knight's armor other than black…

Aqua's fearful eyes shot over to the next knight. The other one was not nearly as muscular. He was more tall and lean and his armor was splashed with gold and green that only colored the contours and gaps of his armor. An oversized black hood outlined in green shadowed his head as well as the charcoal mask that obscured his face. Unlike the first he did not wear a helmet. Haunting eyeless holes allow him to see through the thick, layered silver mask that only concealed his jade eyes and his nose. Aqua noticed his sinister smile emerging underneath the disguise.

Aqua did not know which was worse the faceless helmet or the black hood and partial mask that allowed her to see the wearers menacing, permanent smirk.

Ventus placed his gentle hands on Aqua's shoulders from behind, and she jerked before realizing it was only Ventus. The aquamarine girl brought both of her hands to her shoulder and held his larger one. _Maybe holding Ventus will sate my urge to stop all this. _

"Master Eraqus you are under arrest for treasonous acts against The Dark Rule," Xehanort cut right to the point as he stood before Master Eraqus.

"Don't I warrant a hello, Xehanort?" Eraqus asked as he stood motionlessly.

"Not when you are being arrested for treason," Xehanort smiled deviously "Will you come quietly?"

As Lord Xehanort spoke the knight in crimson drew his demonic keyblade and the other more slender knight summoned flaming, spiked chakrams. It was not a question. It was a threat.

Kairi was at Aqua's side now. Aqua could feel Kairi's nerves so she offered her one of her hands while still holding Ventus's hand with the other. Their fingers laced as they helplessly watched the situation they could not stop. Namine and Xion were not here…they probably could not handle it…_I know I can't, _Aqua thought to herself.

"Yes I will come quietly," Eraqus succumbed as if he had a choice.

As soon as the words left his lips Vanitas rushed at him and forced the man to his knees. "Get down!" Vanitas spat as he held the man down by his shoulders.

Axel followed Vanitas's lead and circled the man and savagely placed spiked restraints similar to his weapons on Eraqus's guiltless wrists.

"Why are they using force?" Aqua whispered to Ventus "Eraqus said he would go. The violence is not necessary."

"No Aqua it's not, but this is how they operate. They enjoy it. I doubt the cronies know anything else. I don't want to think about how they would have treated Eraqus if he wasn't compliant," Ventus explained softly and subtly into Aqua's ear. He did not want their _visitors _to know they were speaking to one another.

"Where is Kairi," Xehanort asked as he bluntly yanked Eraqus by his thin beard, forcing the keyblade master to look at him.

Eraqus's dull eyes went wide. "Go to hell!" Eraqus spat as he fought his restraints before violently being reeled back by Axel.

"This is hell," Lord Xehanort retorted darkly "This is _my _hell Eraqus. The one I have created and you live in it."

Aqua felt Ventus's hands leave her shoulders. "I can't watch this," he said as he retreated back into the castle to join Xion and Namine.

"Is that her?" Vanitas asked, his voiced muffled and distorted by his faceless helmet. He raised his hand and pointed to the small redhead beside the ethereal looking girl with blue features.

"Indeed," the old monarch answered with a nod "I trust you will help me take care of that, but do not harm her. She is not being arrested as Eraqus is."

"Noted," Vanitas said as he began walking toward the two females, his armor morbidly clanging with each step he took.

Aqua could not see his eyes but she knew the bloody knight was watching her and Kairi. Aqua possessively brought her sister to her side and wrapped her arms around her.

"Terra!" Lord Xehanort called Terra down from his post at the foot of the airship.

The Dark Knight in intricate bronze, gold, and black armor made his way toward the shackled, traitorous master. "Yes my lord?" Terra asked as he slung his massive keyblade over his broad shoulders.

"_Escort _Eraqus onto the ship," Xehanort commanded as he began following Vanitas toward the two young women. Terra grinned mischievously within his faceless helmet.

Terra took long heavy steps toward Eraqus. "Hold him up Axel," he instructed his lifelong friend as he took his keyblade in his hand.

Axel cruelly lifted Eraqus up in front of the blackened knight. Terra was not in the mood for a struggle today. He backhanded his keyblade and swiftly rammed the dull hilt into the gentle master's stomach.

Master Eraqus cried in agony and bowed over from the force of the blow. Once Terra was sure the older man would not resist him he nodded for Axel to help him drag the defeated master into the airship.

"Good afternoon ladies," Vanitas said politely as he gave a mock gentleman's bow.

"Save it," Aqua snapped, "What do you want?"

"_We_ want her," he answered as he pointed an ebony finger at Kairi.

Aqua clutched her younger sister closer to her side.

"Try to understand," the Overlord said as he too approached them "The Court has decided that your sister is a threat and that she is to be imprisoned and reeducated."

"Reeducated?" Aqua questioned the sinister man with orange eyes.

_More like reprogrammed,_ she thought inwardly.

"Do not despair, your sister is not being arrested," Xehanort said as he snapped his fingers as Vanitas.

The blood stained dark knight grabbed Kairi's wrist and detached the girl from her sister.

"Aqua!" Kairi yelled as she reached for her sister and pulled against Vanitas's painful grip.

"No!" Aqua cried as she fell to her knees before the Overlord, "Please don't take her. Don't take my baby sister!"

Xehanort said nothing. He simply stood in place with an incompliant expression on his devilish face.

Aqua grabbed fistfuls of the man's cloak "Take me instead! Please! She is just fourteen!" she pleaded as she peered up at him with big blue eyes.

"Your radiance is not like that of your sister," he said as he gripped the girls chin with a willowy, gloved hand. "You have done no wrong."

Xehanort released the azure woman's face and aggressively yanked his cloak from the girl's hands.

"Come child," Xehanort said to Kairi as Vanitas led her down the massive stairwell of the castle.

Kairi kept trying to resist Vanitas's pull. She pushed as his hand that had a death grip on her wrist and dug her heels into the stone steps "Let me go!" she shouted as she continued to look back at her elder sibling.

Aqua was numb. _This isn't happening. It can't be happening. Not Eraqus and Kairi…_

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and held her head down as she fought the tears that threatened to flow down her heart-shaped face. She could not bear to watch her sister cry and reach for her any longer, especially when there was nothing she could do to help her...but she had to try. She could not give up.

Taking Kairi was going too far. Eraqus was one thing, but Kairi was another. She had done nothing to them. They were taking her simply because she _could _do something, because she _could _possess Light powers that _could possibly _threaten them.

Cobalt eyes shot up as she watched the dark men taking her sister to the ship. "Stop!" she sobbed as she clumsily ran down the stone steps.

They all ignored her except the knight she had not noticed until now. "Terra, stop her" Lord Xehanort said dismissively as he placed an eerie hand on Kairi's back and guided her gently into the ship.

_Terra_, Aqua hesitated for a moment before attempting to barrel past him.

Terra effortlessly grabbed Aqua with one arm around her waist and lightly pushed her back in the direction from which she came. He just needed to delay her long enough for Kairi to vanish within the ship.

Sapphire eyes glared fiercely at him before she again tried to go after her sister. Terra was not having it. He raised a gauntlet-covered hand and held it out it in front of her. Commanding her to halt without uttering a word. The tramp was not worth his breath.

The knight with bronze and gold on his black armor was the most intimidating when it came to size. Aqua was not surprised to learn that this was Terra. She expected nothing less from the captain of the Dark Knights. The cruelest of the cruel and the most brutal among the brutal.

Aqua's eyes fell. She was not going to get past him and she could not fight him. They were going to take her sister and her father figure away from her and there was nothing she could do about it. They had been Purged.

_Just like Mom and Dad…_

Terra noticed the female had accepted defeat. He glanced over his armored shoulder and everyone had boarded the massive airship. He lowered his hand and whirled around to board the ship as well, his cape billowing wildly behind him as he left Aqua alone to wallow in her grief.

Steam hissed and the ship stairwell receded back into the ship as Terra vanished from sight.

Aqua collapsed violently onto the chilled hard ground. Her blue eyes lost focus as they gaped at the designs on the concrete that marked the entrance to the Land of Departure.

The ship launched, but Aqua did not budge. Dirt and debris flew all around her. Her azure hair whipped ferociously around her body and slashed painfully into her milky skin.

Aqua wrapped her arms securely around herself as the wind created by the macabre airship consumed her. She knew it should hurt. She knew the debris was making tiny lacerations into her flesh but she could feel nothing. Grainy, dirt filled tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

All at once the assault ceased. Her hair no longer tangled and fought with the wind. The grime and dirt no longer battered her exposed skin. Every inch of her stung, but the only pain she felt was for the loss of her sister, her _father, _and her old life. It was gone. All of it was gone. Taken away with the airship and the dark knights that contaminated her home.

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! I know all of this is probably a bit confusing right now, but it will make more sense as the story progresses. I also know the ages and the look of some of the characters are different but keep in mind this is an alternate universe. I did not want them to be the same because these characters are not the same. Next lets talk about Dark Knights. Vanitas's armor is very similar to what he wore in Birth by Sleep except it is more bulky and think of it as something a knight would wear. Terra's is exactly what he wore in Birth by Sleep except darker colors and more black. You get the idea. **_


	2. The Leaving Song

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

**Chapter 2**

**The Leaving Song**

Kairi was freezing. The frosty surface of the airship's prison cell's flooring was misery on her delicate skin. They had been flying for hours. The young keyblade wielder hated the confinement. She felt like a bird in a cage. Kairi was not supposed to be confined in a small space. It was against her nature.

Finally, the large metal door of her cell opened. Lord Xehanort entered with a gold, bronze, and black armored man following close behind him. Kairi stiffened and sat upright and backed closer into one of cell's metal corners. She knew the man with Xehanort was there in case she decided to escape or fight.

The Dark Knight was outlined in sporadic, razor-edged golden metal on his upper chest, hips, knees, shoulders, hands, and feet. A reddish bronze plate covered his torso and accentuated his already present chiseled abs and pecks. The same deep gold outlined his black helmet while two umber prongs jutted from the helmet's emotionless head. Every other inch of the man was smothered in darkness and a long black cape blanketed behind his monstrous frame. The man's armor was intimidating, but Kairi did not find it as frightening as some of the others.

"It is time to go child," Xehanort instructed as he staggered toward her.

Kairi timidly shook her head no. She knew that leaving with the wretched monarch meant going somewhere she had no desire to go.

The old Overlord looked at the knight beside him. The Dark Knight nodded and approached the wide-eyed girl.

"Come on," he said harshly as he extended a shadowed hand for her. Kairi hated the eerie sound of his voice within his featureless helmet.

"Wait," the man with glowing orange eyes interrupted. "Take her keyblade first."

The ebony knight did not withdraw his hand. Kairi sighed and summoned her flowered keyblade to her small hand before reluctantly handing it to the intimidating man impersonating a peacekeeper.

Kairi had already seen him wield a keyblade. She knew he was a keyblade master and could easily wield and manipulate her keyblade just as she did. The armored man reduced her keyblade to its charm form and tucked the charm into his unseen pocket.

"Careful, she can still employ powerful magic," Xehanort reminded the knight as he began stroking the gray beard on his pointed chin.

He simply nodded as he again extended a hand for Kairi to take. She refused and stood up on her own. "I will follow you," she insisted as she began fidgeting with her hip length tresses.

"Fine," The Dark Knight snapped and retracted his hand "but the instant you try _anything _my leniency ends."

Kairi silently followed the immoral men out of her wintery cell. Once they were out of the prison hold Kairi noticed how extravagant the interior of the ship was.

It was like a mansion. If the redhead did not know any better she wouldn't have thought she was on a ship at all. Vermillion carpet coated the ships walkways and coal-black metal lined the walls. Intricate silver, gold, and bronze vases were placed throughout the hallways and expensive paintings dangled on the glossy walls.

Smokey doorways lined the endless hallways and Kairi knew they led to ridiculously luxurious rooms.

_So this is how the dark side lives, _she scoffed privately. _Why couldn't I have stayed in one of the lavish rooms? I would have behaved!_

The sound of metal knocking on metal brought her out of her thoughts. The imitation arbitrator in bronze armor had knocked on one of the random doors.

"Yes?" a man with short blonde hair and a short fair beard answered the door.

"Luxord, we need some medicine for the girl. She has been in the holding cell since our departure and she is not feeling well. Could you give her something to dull her pain?" the High Elder asked the blonde man named Luxord.

Now that he mentioned it, Kairi was nursing a nasty headache. _How did he know that? I never said that I was in pain… _Kairi did not dwell on details of the bizarre situation. She simply assumed that is was natural for their prisoners to feel bad after being cooped up in a nasty prison cell for hours or days at a time…

Luxord grinned and motioned for Kairi to enter what appeared to be an infirmary. Xehanort entered first as the armored man held the door open for him.

"You too Red," the being clad in black armor growled as he inclined his body in an artificial bow and continued to hold the door ajar.

After being snarled at Kairi quickly sprinted into the infirmary behind Xehanort. In her rush to get away from the irritated knight she accidentally rammed into the old man's coated back.

"I'm sorry!" she chirped as she held her hands out in front of her nervously "I didn't…I didn't mean to…"

Kairi had no idea why she was apologizing to this man. Habit maybe?

"Sit," was the elderly man's only reply as he pointed to one of the examining tables in the center of the infirmary.

For some unknown reason she obeyed. The girl with bright, ruby locks sat obediently on the examining table. Her blue eyes wandered to the infirmary's doorway. The faceless knight was leaning lazily against the door frame with his arms crossed rigidly over the vast plains of his chest. Kairi could not help but wonder what those _men _looked like without their helmets on.

"Here," Luxord said blankly as he handed her a colorless cup filled with blood-red fluid.

"Thank you," Kairi stated out of habit. _Again?_

"I'd rather we skip the formalities," Luxord said passively as he walked toward Xehanort.

Kairi quickly threw the thick liquid back into her mouth and tried to swallow as much as she could before the disgusting solution touched her taste buds.

"It may take a while to kick in," the blonde man informed the sinister monarch. "And she should keep taking it daily unless you want her symptoms to return. We can increase the dosage if we need to. Shots can also be administered if necessary."

The more Kairi heard Luxord say the more she wished she had not just drunk the watery substance he had given her.

_They would have made you take it one way or another. Like he just said "shots can be administered if necessary." Might as well cooperate._

The blue-eyed girl swallowed hard and roughly wiped the remaining fluid from her pink-tinted lips.

"Let's go Terra," the dark sovereign commanded as he turned on his heel to exit the room.

Terra's posture straightened as he uncrossed his arms and again held the large metal door open.

Kairi stood and followed her unpleasant guides out of the infirmary. Before leaving she casted one last glance towards Luxord. The blonde man had taken out a gray and white deck of cards and began masterfully shuffling and setting the cards up for a game of solitaire on an examining table.

They continued their silent trek down the complex airship hallways until Terra harshly punched a big red button embedded in one of the walls.

Gears turned and pipes hissed as a stairway lowered to the ground outside. Kairi flinched and covered her indigo eyes to shield herself from the blinding outdoor light.

"The light is not always pleasant. Is it little one?" Xehanort chuckled menacingly as he descended the large metal steps.

Kairi did not answer him as she too made her way down the colossal stairs.

Sand. Sand was absolutely everywhere. Kairi had never seen such vast amounts of swirling gold in her life. They had taken her to the middle of nowhere.

_No one will ever find me out here…I guess that's the point._

The mystical girl had heard about The Dark Realm's prisons. She had heard rumors of how no one knew where they were and how they were scattered all over the world in peculiar places. Some even rumored that the prisons were everywhere and that they were merely disguised as normal establishments.

"Whenever your ready Red," Terra grumbled restlessly and tapped his clinking fingers on his metal arms as Kairi realized she was still standing on the ship's steps.

"Oh, sorry…" she said as she left the last step and her ankles were consumed by the deleterious golden sand of the wasteland.

Another Dark Knight was standing silently in the middle of the whirling sand filled abyss. He was adorned in black armor like all the other Dark Knights. His helmet was different from the others though. His helmet had a faux face.

Wavy spikes jolted from the back of the helmet and the man's wide shoulders. Sharper deadlier spikes even thrusted out of the knight's elbows. A face with no mouth, a heavy furrowed brow, and white lifeless eyes glared at her. A permanent scowl was plastered onto the helmet's artificial face to intimidate and frighten anyone unfortunate enough to lay eyes upon him.

Hues of blue and gold outline some of the sharp curves of the impenetrable armor. Everything about the Dark Knight's armor screamed strength. Metal abs outlined his already existing abs made of muscle.

"They are your problem now Saix," Terra teased as he placed a heavy hand on Saix's spiked shoulder and began trekking through the sand storm.

Terra's massive cape rolled and whipped unnaturally around his mighty physique as he faded into the golden mass Kairi assumed was burning sand.

Kairi was not even sure where he was heading until she shielded her eyes and saw a monumental, tilted tower sinking eerily into the sea of lethal dunes. Kairi knew she had laid eyes on her prison. That ominous tower would be her new _home_.

* * *

Aqua sat silently on one of the stone chairs within the training grounds. She did not go back to the castle after _they _left. It would be too depressing to go back into the immense, empty castle without two major parts of her family.

The azure girl brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms that she had crossed atop her knees. Thunder rumbled in the distance and rain had begun to drizzle upon her skin. The raindrops sprinkled her skin and dusted her long indigo hair making her entire body shimmer in the fleeting moonlight.

"I thought I might find you out here," Ventus addressed her as he journeyed across the empty practice field.

Aqua did not budge an inch.

"You shouldn't leave your sisters alone," she heeded him without raising her head as he approached her.

"I shouldn't leave you alone either," Ventus combated as he sat on one of the cement chairs next to the ethereal young woman.

"They took her Ven. They took her right out from under me," Aqua whimpered into her chilled, bare arms.

Ventus did not know what to say to her. What could he say to her? He was not even sure of what he was supposed to do with himself.

The golden-haired young man instead decided to rub her back as silent sobs broke from her beautiful lips.

"You should come back to the castle. It's about to rain. You will get sick," his blue eyes shone as he tried to convince the distraught woman to come back with him.

"I don't care. I deserve to get sick after I failed her. What would my parents think of me? What does Master think of me? Ven they stole the last of my blood!" She condemned herself as she finally removed her head from her arms to look at Ventus.

"What could you have done differently? Master Eraqus told you not to fight them. You couldn't have fought Terra much less all three of those knights," Ventus said as he ran a hand through his spiky, blonde hair.

"I could have tried! I could have done…something differently," Aqua said dejectedly as she gazed at Ventus.

The blue girl could not stop replaying the situation over and over again in her head.

"And what? You would have fought him and he would have killed you or taken you too," the blonde man said as he stood up after raising his voice.

"Look," he said softly as he cupped one of her porcelain hands with his "Aqua you did what Master wanted. Them taking Kairi was unexpected, but Master would have wanted you here with us. He would not have wanted you taken too. Light knows what those _monsters _would have done to you on that ship,"

Ventus squeezed her hand tighter as he thought about what the knights would have done to Aqua. Aqua was gorgeous. Anyone with eyes could see that.

_If the bastards even __**have**__ eyes under all that armor,_ Ventus hissed to himself.

The knights would have abused and violated her in unimaginable, dishonorable ways. The male keyblade wielder cringed at the thought.

Kairi was young enough to be spared from such tortures, but Aqua was not. Ventus could not help thinking that if one of them had to be taken it needed to be Kairi.

"They said they were going to reeducate her. The Overlord said she was not being arrested but she was going to be reeducated," Aqua repeated to herself and for Ventus "Ven my sister won't be my sister anymore _if _or when I see her again. They will turn her into a monster."

Ventus could not imagine the grief he would feel if this was happening to one of his biological sisters. He looked at Kairi as a sister, but it was not the same as his bloodline. He had grown up with Namine and Xion and had raised them for years before Eraqus took them in.

That was something he and Aqua shared. They had been forced to grow up much too quickly in order to help raise their younger siblings after loosing their own parents. Out of habit and instinct he was automatically more protective of Xion and Namine. They had to be protective of them…since their parents no longer could be. Aqua and Ven had to be protective for themselves as well as their deceased parents. Everything was magnified.

His love for Kairi was just as strong as his love for his true relatives, but it was a different kind of love. Ventus loved each of them differently. Even Aqua.

The blonde keyblade wielder could not bear hearing any of this anymore.

"Lets go back Aqua. Please?" he pleaded with his old friend as he held out his hand for her.

Aqua complied and took his calloused hand.

"I was mad at her," Aqua admitted as they began walking towards the castle, "We got into a fight yesterday."

"That is normal. We all fight. It is what we do," he offered her a gentle, reassuring smile.

"It wasn't the last thing you did before you lost one of your sisters. I know I was holding her when _everything_ was happening but the last normal interaction we had was…"

"Stop," Ventus interrupted her as he squeezed her hand more firmly, "Lets talk about something else."

But they did not talk about anything else. The journey back to their living quarters was a journey filled with painful silence.

The young male opened the large door for Aqua and she noiselessly entered the massive entryway.

"Aqua!" the azure woman heard Namine call to her with Xion quietly following her fair sibling.

Namine was still in her traditional small white lacy dress and Xion was still wearing her elegant black sleeveless shirt and blue jean shorts that tightly hugged her hips. Xion's shirt had thin black straps that caress her shoulders and the bottom of the garment was jagged, ruffled, and short revealing her toned stomach and tiny, pierced belly button.

"Hi guys," Aqua said half heartedly as Namine wrapped her arms around her waist.

Aqua tenderly ran her fingers through the young girl's soft tresses that fell just beyond her petite shoulders.

Ventus gripped the bridge of his nose. He knew Xion and Namine would only remind Aqua of her loss. They reminded him of _everyone's _loss.

"How are you?" Xion asked genuinely as she uncomfortably ran her fingers through her short raven locks.

"I will be ok. I just want to be alone for a bit. Are all of you alright?" the sapphire keyblade wielder asked as her eyes darted back and forth between the two girls.

"We will be ok," Xion mimicked as Namine released Aqua's slender waist.

Ventus nodded at his younger siblings, suggesting that he wanted them to let Aqua have her peace.

Cobalt eyes shone weakly as Aqua smiled at her remaining family members before departing down the hallway that led to her room.

Aqua made it halfway down the lengthy hallway but was stopped by a frilly, pink door that stared at her, the door to Kairi's room.

A hesitant hand reached for the silver doorknob. The cerulean maiden opened the door and her sister's raspberry fragrance invaded her senses. Aqua slowly walked through the bright pink and white room. In a daze, the sapphire girl walked to Kairi's dressing table. All of her things were there just as she had left them.

She tightly shut her eyes as she gripped her sister's small pink bracelet off of the white vanity. The bracelet was pink with small green rhinestones and was outlined with silver spirals. Aqua steadily ran her fingers over the bracelet's subtle ridges. Pale hand gripped the bracelet as she brought the object to her chest and sighed heavily.

Her mind was made up. She was going to find her sister.

Indigo tresses flew wildly as Aqua scurried down the hallway to her master's vacant room. She busted through his massive tan door and hurriedly began sifting through Eraqus's possessions.

"Come on! Where is it?" she cried as she dug through his dresser drawers leaving piles of clothes in her wake "It isn't in here."

The female ran through the disheveled pile of clothes and dashed to his oversized closet. As soon as she reached the closet she began filtering through the clothes that inhabited the closet space.

_I __will go talk to Diz first. I will explain the situation to him and maybe he can help me. Maybe he or Riku will know enough about the reeducation program or The Dark Realm's prisons to give me a clue to where she might be and I will go from there,_ she began thinking to herself.

"Finally!" she cried as she pulled out the large black hooded cloak.

She threw the morbid disguise over her arm and darted out of Eraqus's demolished room.

Aqua bolted out of the back entrance of the castle and paused. She glanced over her heaving shoulder at the castle she called home. The cerulean keyblade wielder could not tell the others goodbye. It would be too painful and seeing them would splinter her resolve to save her sister. They would convince her to stay…and she couldn't stay…

"I'm sorry…Ventus…Namine…Xion," she apologizes as she began her trek through the rain to the chocobo stables.

The blue-haired girl threw the gloomy cloak over her shoulders and slung her thin arms through the oversized sleeves as she struggled through the intensifying rainstorm.

When she reached the stable, she entered with extreme caution to avoid frightening the fowl sleeping inside. The last thing she wanted was for the chocobos to become alarmed and start making noise. Aqua did not want anyone to know she was about to leave.

Silently, Aqua walked through scattered piles of hay over to her feathered friend. Her white chocobo was sound asleep on his side. Most of the oversized birds slept standing up, but Aqua's chocobo was special. His long white feathers had faint traces of baby blue on their tips. Even his large, potentially deadly talons held subtle hints of cobalt to them.

"Snow," Aqua whispered as she ruffled the long white feathers atop his head. "Come on buddy we have to go."

Snow's big navy eyes fluttered a few times before he lightly chirped and rose to his enormous feet. The large white bird stretched his lengthy neck and ruffled his frosty feathers. The bird's owner grabbed the bird's bulbous neck and led him outside. Once Aqua was sure they were far enough away from the other chocobos she mounted the bird and tugged the inky hood over her head. She clicked her tongue and Snow took off toward the forested mountain ranges that lie behind the extravagant castle.

* * *

Sora was in solitary confinement. Again. Needless to say prison life was not for Sora or any other sixteen year old boy for that matter. It seemed like he was always in trouble for something. He could not help it. He would just get so _bored._

It was a good thing that Sora was not claustrophobic. The cell he was in was a claustrophobic's worst nightmare.

He heard voices outside of the compact cell he was occupying. They were probably discussing what to do with him now.

Sora chuckled. They had tried their best to break his spirit since he had arrived. When Sora was brought in they had taken his identity. He had been stripped of his clothes and everything he wore that had value to him except Kairi's lucky charm. Sora could not let him take her charm. It meant too much to him. It meant too much to her.

_I will return this. I promise._

The Dark Knights had even threatened to shave off his hair. It was all part of the degradation process. They would humiliate prisoners in every way possible. Sora was not sure why they decided against shaving his head. Probably because it would not faze him, now that his hair was getting long and unruly, a hair cut would actually have been nice. His straight, brown hair had grown down the back of his tanned neck and his bangs hung over his blue eyes.

After being stripped naked and talked to like the scum of the earth, Sora was given his _uniform_ or prison garb. Everyone's was the same. A long baggy gray shirt, a black rope they called a belt, thin sandals that barely qualified as shoes, and even baggier black pants.

An annoyed Terra busted into Sora's cell. Metal roared and groaned against the stonewall from Terra's unnecessary roughness.

"Don't you people knock?" Sora playfully taunted the pissed off knight.

"I don't have to" Terra countered as he approached Sora.

"What did he do this time?" the high-ranking knight asked one of the common prison guards dressed in simple, black armor. If Terra was not wearing his helmet he would have been rubbing his eyes in annoyance.

"We caught him trying to crawl out of one of the tower windows in the eating hall sir," the standard guard answered.

"I wasn't trying to crawl out of it. I was just…inspecting it," Sora explained as he tugged at his cuffed hands.

"So that you _could_ crawl out of it," Terra snapped impatiently.

Terra smirked.

"Get two more guards. I want him to be searched again," he commanded the single guard.

"Yes sir," the shaky guard answered as he sprinted out of the constricting cell to find more guards.

Terra usually wasn't a knight that was used within the prisons. Prison duties usually went so Saix and Roxas, but since Terra was at the Purge that had acquired Sora he had gotten roped into some responsibility for the spirited brunette.

Apparently, Terra was the only one capable of dealing with the feisty boy. Saix had his fill of him after the first few minutes he spent with the teenager. It was possible that Terra was the only knight left willing to deal with him.

Terra was nothing if not persistent. That was what made him such a good Dark Knight. He was determined and relentless.

The blackened warrior was convinced that he could break Sora. He just needed to find his weakness and everyone had a weakness. Terra would examine Sora until he found it. Once Sora was broken Terra wouldn't have to deal with him anymore and he could go back home to Hollow Bastion and maybe get some time off.

"No funny business," Terra warned as he removed the rusted restraints from Sora's wrists so that he could be searched when the guards arrived.

"Whatever," Sora huffed as he rotated his newly freed and stiff wrists.

Sora stood forgetting he had been holding Kairi's charm in his lap.

_Shit._

Before the younger boy could even react Terra's metal foot stomped onto the fallen charm causing Sora to wince.

"Well, well, well," Terra said much too cheerfully, "What could this be?"

The fighter's gauntlet covered hand grasped the helpless charm and held it out in front of him.

"Can…can I have that back?" Sora actually pleaded to the knight.

"Why would you want this piece of _shit_ back?" Terra tested him as he haphazardly began twirling the charm over his thick, long fingers.

"It is not a piece of shit," Sora seethed as he tried to grab the charm that twisted over Terra's monstrous knuckles.

"Uh oh! Did I strike a nerve?" the armored man asked as he yanked the charm away from Sora's grasp.

Sora did not answer he only stared blankly at the floor. His blood was boiling.

"I did!" Terra mocked him as he got in the boy's emotionless face.

"I suppose you can have it back if you ask nicely," the ebony soldier teased as he began casually pacing around the chocolate haired boy.

"Can I have it back?" Sora tried to ask genuinely

"Hmmm I think you could be nicer than that," Terra playfully yawned as he stretched his arms out over his helmeted head and popped his neck.

"Sir, can I please have it back?" Sora begged for his only possession again.

"Nah," the ominous man answered as he tucked the charm into his invisible pocket.

"You! You fuc…" Sora's insult was cut short by Terra's armored fist being shoved violently into his abdomen.

The light keyblade wielder choked, coughed, and gagged as he fell harshly to his hands and knees.

"The search won't be necessary gentlemen," Terra instructed the guards waiting in the doorway as he began casually exiting Sora's cell.

"He can leave now," he added as he glanced at the boy who was now crumpled on the grimy, damp prison floor before vanishing from sight.

* * *

By the next afternoon Aqua had finally reached the metropolis of Naefre, The city of perpetual night. (The world that never was. Naefre is old English for never).

"Alright Snow, you are going to have to stay here until I get back. I don't think people in the city would appreciate me bringing in a chocobo…sorry," she said as she wrapped the fowl's reigns around one of the trees on the outskirts of the city.

Aqua has been to Naefre before but it had been a while since she had last visited. Naefre was one of the last neutral cities left. Diz had done a magnificent job of remaining neutral, negotiating, and keeping The Dark Overlords happy. Eraqus never approved of his tactics, but everyone had to admit they worked.

Diz was an instructor like Eraqus and Yen Sid, but Diz did not solely teach Light students. His star pupil was actually a Dark keyblade master. Diz did not pick sides and he did not discriminate. Aqua knew coming to see him was a gamble, but she did not know where else to go. If anyone could help her it would be Diz.

After walking through the city Aqua started to remember why she had stopped visiting Naefre. The city was crawling with gloomy Followers and standard Dark Knights, but at least they weren't the higher-ranked knights like Vanitas and Terra.

_This is just how the world is now. Your home is unique remember?_

Aqua timidly walked through the blackened city with bright neon lights and gigantic, buzzing billboards. Instinctively she tried to bury herself even deeper within her hood. She did not want anyone to see her unique features…Aqua was afraid she looked too much like a Child of Light.

_You stand out like a sore thumb._

Two informal guards watched over the entry to Diz's headquarters.

"Excuse me," she began "I need to speak with Riku. Tell him Aqua is here to see him,"

One of the guards silently nodded and retreated into the giant, barbed building that was almost large enough to be considered a castle.

Shortly after the guard left he reappeared with Riku at his side. Riku was clad in the same type of cloak Aqua was wearing. His long silver hair covered his face and flowed down past his broad shoulders. Riku was nearly three years older than her.

_I guess he is almost twenty-one now._

Aqua's heart soared at the sight of a familiar face. The girl reluctantly removed her hood so she could smile and greet her old friend properly. Riku grinned at the cerulean woman for a moment before his face quickly fell.

"It is good to see you Aqua. To what do we owe the pleasure?" the silver-haired boy asked, his piercing light blue eyes glowing in the world's darkness.

"I would rather not talk about it out here. I would like to have a meeting with Diz so I can explain my situation to both of you," the female keyblade wielder said as she began fidgeting with her fingertips.

"Of course. I will see what I can do," the dark keyblade master said as he turned on his heel and began heading into the colossal residence.

Without turning around he lifted his hand and motioned for Aqua to follow him.

* * *

"So they finally Purged Eraqus," Diz said as he stroked his cloth-covered chin while sitting at his messy, paper covered desk.

Diz's face was wrapped in red cloth so that only one of his bright orange eyes could examine the girl before him.

"Yes. I know that I cannot fix that. My master explained to me that he was being Purged for fighting for the Light during The Great War. What I am really here about is my sister. She did not do anything wrong. She is only fourteen," Aqua continued as Riku stood stoically at her side.

"That is only half the reason of why your master was Purged," Diz, said casually as he completely ignored Aqua's statement about her sister "You were raised as a Child of Light were you not?"

Aqua was taken back by the question.

Her big blue eyes went wide, "I suppose…"

"If you were raised to believe that The Dark Rule is bad and that the Overlords and their henchmen are evil then you are a Child of Light," the man clad in red said gruffly.

The girl simply nodded. Diz intimidated and slightly frightened her.

"Taking your sister was likely an act to alter the future. Since your sister has committed no Light crimes and was not arrested one would assume they want to use her,"

"What do you mean use her?" Aqua asked a bit too harshly.

"A Seer Sage probably saw a future that the Overlords either did or did not approve of. Taking your sister probably changed or ensured that future depending on what they saw." The menacing looking man explained.

"For example, let us say the seer saw a future where your sister became a Light keyblade master and defeated one of the lords. To prevent that from happening they took your sister to be reeducated. You see?" Diz tried again to make their potential operations clear.

"Yes. I think so," Aqua answered as she stared at his disorganized desk.

"Where could they have taken her? What does reeducated even mean?" the cobalt-eyed girl continued to question him.

"Finding your sister now will be like finding a needle in a haystack. Prisons are scattered and hidden everywhere. It would be challenging to find the prison they took her to, to say the least. However I would guess she would be at one of the maximum-security prisons, and I know nothing of these reeducation programs." The bizarre man said dismissively as he stood and made his way around his desk.

"Isn't there any way you could help me? Isn't there something you could do about them? About all this? Diz they are going to far," Aqua pleaded as she placed a hand over her pounding heart.

"I am afraid not. We are all bound to their rules. This is their world, we simply live in it," Diz responded blankly as his eye became distant.

Aqua could not help but notice how even Diz seemed miserable in this world. Diz was not a Follower of the Light, but Aqua could tell that he too suffered at the hands of The Dark Rule.

"Diz there has to be something we could do." Riku finally spoke "I could go with her to help her look for her sister. We could…"

"I forbid it!" Diz roared and Aqua flinched and tightly closed her eyes "we have worked too hard to stay neutral! I refuse to contaminate myself with this! Its blasphemy to oppose them! You know that!"

"But master!" Riku stepped forward and again attempted to reason with his aged master.

Aqua gently placed an elegant hand on Riku's shoulder "Its alright Riku. I do not want to endanger all of you. This is our mess. I apologize for involving you in this. Thank you for all your time. I wish you all the best."

The sapphire keyblade wielder bowed politely and exited.

After leaving the large stately home Aqua lifted her hood and began tucking her long blue tresses back into the shadows of her hood as she prepared herself for the depressing trip back out of Naefre.

"Wait!" she faintly heard someone calling after her.

Aqua turned slightly toward the direction of the voice.

Riku dashed to Aqua's side "I am coming with you."

"You shouldn't…Diz said"

"I know what Diz said but I also know what I think I should do. I believe I should go with you, at least as an escort. It is dangerous out there and you shouldn't have to look for Kairi alone. I can't get my hands dirty, but I will do what I can," Riku said with a small smile on his frosty features.

"Thank you Riku," Aqua felt so relieved to have some form of companionship. She had been dreading the long and possibly endless journey alone.

Riku knelt down on the street and pulled a large map out of his pocket and spread it out across the concrete.

"Doma is a town not too far from here," he stated as he pointed to on of the red dots on the massive map. "Lots of ex knights have retired and gone to live there. Maybe if we go there we can get some information about some of the Dark Realm's prisons. I know it's not much but it is all I have to go on."

"Hey your plan is better than mine," she chuckled as her eyes wandered over the map.

"What was your plan?" Riku asked as he began carefully folding up his map.

"I…didn't have one," she admitted as she covered more of the hood over her already shielded and now blushing face.

Riku laughed loudly and patted her back "Come on. Lets get going."

* * *

Terra had finally gotten back from Palamecian Desert's prison and he was absolutely exhausted. He had not truly slept since he had departed for the Purge in The Land of Departure and he was finally returning home to Hollow Bastion.

Now that he believed he had found a way of conquering Sora he had _politely _dismissed himself from the prison.

As soon as he entered The Tarnen Palace, where the Dark Overlords and their servants took residence, he removed his stifling helmet. Dark Knights were forbidden to remove their helmets in public. Dark Knights were supposed to be intimidating and emotionless. They were not supposed to possess any human qualities. Dark Knights had to create the illusion of being immortal.

The knight secured his helmet under one arm before using his free hand to tussle his matted and short earthen colored hair. He exhaled heavily before taking in a large breath of clean cool air. Terra never realized how suffocating his helmet was until he removed it.

The warrior was supposed to check in with his elders upon arrival but Terra was so tired he just wanted to rest in his room for a moment. He was also quite certain he would get another assignment if he spoke to his monarchs and that was something he would like to postpone if possible.

Terra was almost to his door when he noticed Larxene leaning daintily on his burgundy door.

_Fuck._

Larxene was barely clothed in an exquisite black dress that was much too revealing, short, and tight. The sleeveless dress had a high black collar that fanned out bizarrely over her appetizing, bare shoulders and zipped down the front of her body. The bottom of the small dress flowed and rippled out at her curvy hips. Larxene's dazzling green eyes glistened as she noticed Terra.

_She knew I was coming. Damn seer._

"Why are you on my door?" he asked as he clenched his helmet in irritation, causing the metal of the helmet to lightly clink from the pressure he applied to it.

"Can I not greet the returning hero?" she asked as she innocently twirled a piece of her sleek and straight chin length hair.

Terra rolled his deep blue eyes.

"Move before I make you move," he threatened, as he got closer to her.

Larxene smirked at him and gracefully removed herself from Terra's large burgundy door. Terra grabbed the tow-colored doorknob and entered his stuffy, neglected room. Upon entering the nobleman carelessly tossed his helmet onto his luxurious crimson and ebony bed. Terra could hear Larxene's high heels beating the floor behind him.

"Oh by the way you are wanted in the Grand Hall," she said impishly as she rested against his mahogany desk.

Terra sighed heavily as he pressed his hands into his bed and lowered his head "I am aware."

"Something about you tracking down some girl," the blonde stated as she began examining her flawless fingernails.

The now annoyed knight exhaled sharply through his flared nostrils, "I just got done taking care of _some_ girl."

"Well now you have to babysit another one," she chuckled wildly. Larxene was enjoying this way too much.

"Can I not rest for like ten minutes?" Terra asked as he turned to face her.

"Nope. I will go tell them your back from the Palamecia prison," the blonde wench said as she exited The Dark Knight's room.

"Thanks!" he yelled after her sarcastically as his hands sunk deeper into his flaccid mattress.

The exhausted man reluctantly grabbed his helmet and exited the room he just entered.

He followed the sound of Larxene's high heels and when he caught up with her he realized the revealing dress was also backless.

_Of course, _he smirked as he tiled his head and examined the young woman's hourglass figure.

Terra knew seer could sense him eyeing her. She always had a sassy walk but the walk she exuded now was down right seductive. Larxene definitely was not modest.

The seeress stopped walking when they reached their destination. "Shall I announce you or will you just bust in like a brute like you usually do," she teased as she crossed her arms.

"I will let you do the honors since you took the time come to my room and harass me about it," Terra said calmly as he placed his helmet over his head.

Larxene smiled and nimbly entered The Grand Hall that contained the three Dark Overlords.

The blonde seer walked down the lengthy red carpet that led to the three thrones that sat at the head of the gigantic throne room. Once she reached the monarchy she curtsied with an exceptional amount of poise.

"My Lords, Terra has returned. He is ready to see you when you see fit," Larxene spoke gently to the three sovereigns.

"Bring him in," Xehanort spoke for each of them.

Terra heard the command, but he still awaited Larxene's signal. The emerald-eyed woman looked back at him and motioned for him to approach. Terra groaned inwardly. Larxene knew something he didn't. That was the only explanation for why she was so eager for him to meet with the Overlords. The twisted young woman found enjoyment in the most bizarre ways recently.

The knight rattled and clanked down the carpeted walkway. Large crimson tapestries hung behind each monarch's throne. The Heartless Insignia behind Ansem, The Nobody Emblem behind Xemnas, and The Unversed Crest behind Xehanort. Each symbol-represented titles obtained during The Great War and also represented different sectors of The Dark Realm. Every Overlord had their jurisdiction and their area of expertise. While Xemnas and Ansem had equal amounts of power, Xehanort was the undisputed monarch among monarchs.

Navy blue eyes scanned the room he had examined a million times before. The blood-red carpeted walkway was lined by enormous vermillion columns that supported the ceiling of the colossal room while the walls were stained black. Portraits of the Dark Overlords dangled from the charcoal walls that traced The Grand Hall. Menacing weapons, vicious shields, and former Dark Knight's armor decorate every contour and crevasse of the elaborate room.

Terra reached the steps that ascend to the thrones, removed his unique helmet, and knelt at the rulers' feet. He held his head low in compliance until he was addressed.

"You may rise," Xehanort said as he waved his crumpled hand dismissively.

Terra obeyed and stood next to Larxene. He placed his hands behind his armored back and stood erect and with confidence while the jade-eyed woman next to him stood casually with one hand on her hip. Obedience was not as important when it came to seers.

"We wished to discuss Eraqus's students with you," Xemnas was the next to speak.

"Which ones my lord?" Terra inquired for he truly was not sure which one they spoke of.

_I am not a seer, _he huffed inwardly.

"Kairi and her sister," Xehanort answered for Xemnas.

"What about them?" the dark keyblade master questioned again.

"A new future has been set into motion. Taking Kairi has altered the future as we had hoped. However, taking Kairi has triggered actions from her sister that we did not expect," Xemnas explained as he crossed his legs and rested his elbow on his armrest.

"The older sister is looking for her younger sibling now," Larxene added as she pulled a golden lock of hair behind her ear.

"She won't find her. Kairi is in the Palamecian Desert Prison. She will die trying to find her," Terra scoffed at their absurd suggestion.

"That is beside the point," Ansem finally chimed in "the girl needs to be dealt before a bigger problems develop."

If they wouldn't have known he was rolling his eyes he would have. What could two small girls possibly do? Terra had seen both of them and he had yet to see what the big deal was.

"Aqua is to be found, captured, and brought back here for rehabilitation," Xehanort said as if reading his thoughts.

"We are not worried about the girl finding her sister. We wish to use her before she gets herself killed or before she awakens her _powers_. She holds potential. If we act now we can harness it and possibly use it in our favor," Ansem said as he laced his fingers and placed them under his strong chin.

"Taking Kairi has triggered Aqua's awakening. If she is not obtained and stopped now she will gain immense Light powers in order to save her sister. Not to mention the rest of Eraqus's student will rally behind her," Larxene explained a bit more so Terra would understand the importance of the solitary girl.

Larxene had known Terra since childhood and could read his subtle body language. She could sense his skepticism.

The knight nodded. The High Elders may have bitten off a bit more than they could chew by taking the red-haired girl preemptively. Such are the risks that come with attempting to control and alter the future. By fixing one problem another could surface. A domino effect could easily be triggered and Terra suspected that was what was happening now so they are sending him in to do damage control.

_Like always._

"Saix and Vanitas will go with you," Xemnas instructed as he rested his chin on his clenched fist.

"For one girl?" Terra snapped before thinking.

He had encountered the blue girl before and he was far from impressed. The knight had effortlessly thrown her around like a rag doll.

"She has obtained a powerful escort," Ansem stated as he began popping his knuckles.

"Do not underestimate her," Xehanort heeded as he stood and locked his arms behind his hunched back.

"Yes, sire. We shall leave immediately," the Dark Knight answered as he again fell to his knees before his liege.

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! As you have probably noticed this is kind of a Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts hybrid. It will contain things like chocobos and Final Fantasy terms and I also use the names of Final Fantasy towns. If they had FFA (Final Fantasy Anonymous) meetings I would have to attend them regularly. Anyway, I digress! Oh and speaking of chocobos Aqua's chocobo, Snow, is based on the Pulse chocobos from Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 but with my color alterations. If you are not familiar with Final Fantasy XIII, chocobos in general, or if you simply want to look at what I am talking about you can search something like Final Fantasy XIII-2 chocobos and you can look at the crazy looking things. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! **_


	3. The Runaway Found

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy

_You shatter me_

_Your grip on me_

_A hold on me so dull it kills_

_You stifle me_

_Infectious sense of hopelessness and prayers for rain_

_I suffocate_

_I breathe in dirt and nowhere shines but desolate and drab_

_The hours all spent on killing time again_

_All waiting for the rain_

_-Prayers for Rain, The Cure_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**The Runaway Found**_

Riku and Aqua had traveled all night and Aqua was absolutely worn out. Riku had refused to let them stop until they reached a town called Amur. Amur was going to be one of their pit stops before reaching their destination of Doma. He stressed that they did not need to camp in the woods and should wait until they reached the safety of a town. Bandits and feral monsters lurked in the woods and it was not wise to stay in one place for too long. Once they started on the path though the wood they could not stop.

"Sorry Snow couldn't keep carrying us. He gets tired more quickly with two people riding him," Aqua apologized as she patted her chocobo's long, feathered neck.

"Its fine. I am perfectly capable of walking," Riku stated as he sliced through low hanging branches that blocked their path with his dark, winged keyblade.

Aqua and Riku had taken turns cutting paths through the bulky wood and Aqua was currently taking her break as she kept watch for Riku.

"Please tell me we are close," Aqua whined as she rotated her aching shoulders and stretched her neck.

"It should not be much farther," the silver-haired keyblade master announced.

It was midday and the vibrant sun was beaming through the lush, forested canopy above them. Aqua kept looking all around them for any signs of civilization, but could never find any.

She watched as Riku slashed through more of the forest terrain and Aqua finally saw the abundant forest receding.

"Finally!" she exclaimed as she began sprinting ahead of Riku with Snow on her heels.

Aqua was sick of the endless amounts of green.

"Wait!" Riku shouted as he blocked her advance out of the woodland "We do not know who is here. Be cautious and keep your hood up. Let me lead ok?"

The girl with cobalt hair nodded, "Sorry I got ahead of myself. I am just so tired. Apparently I can't think straight anymore."

"Its ok. I doubt The Dark Overlords have sent anyone after us yet. It is still really early, but I still want us to be careful. They cannot be underestimated," the dark keyblade wielder explained and watched Aqua with sincere eyes, "We need to travel as if they are following us."

"I understand," the blue-haired girl nodded. She had been so distracted by the forest and its dangers that she had not even thought of the Overlords.

Riku said nothing as he began leading her out of the forest and into the town of Amur.

"Should I leave Snow out here?" the sapphire keyblade wielder asked as she pulled the large bird by his reins.

"Probably, but they may have some stables here that we can keep him in until we leave. I have some munny, we can pay for him to stay if we have to," he said calmly as he began walking over the tiny rocky bridge that marked the entryway to the small town.

Amur was a bizarre town divided into square sectors by narrow waterways. Petite pebbled bridges that hovered over slim water channels and marked the entrance of each of the town's sectors. Colorful flora and towering trees grew on the top of each of the square, concrete sectors surrounded by streaming water. Quant cottage like establishments with white stone walls and caramel colored shingles filled the elevated sectors.

"Come on. We need to find somewhere to stay," Riku insisted and began analyzing the many buildings around them.

* * *

The three Dark Knights were lazily waiting outside the entrance of Amur's local tavern. Loud music and drunken, uproarious laughter erupted from the doorway and windows.

Terra leaned casually against the door frame with his muscular arms crossed over his plated chest. Vanitas drummed his coal-black fingers impatiently on the sizable barrel he was halfway sitting on. Saix sat outstretched over the flat steps of the tavern entrance, his elbows supporting his thick frame.

"Dude I can't stand it. I gotta have something to drink!" Vanitas declared as he stood and faced the tavern doorway.

"Stay put!" Terra roared as he removed himself from his position "you need to have your wits when they get here. You are useless to me if you are tipsy."

"Can't I just have a little one?" Vanitas questioned as he pinched his fingers together to emphasize that he only wanted a small drink.

"You mean a shot?" Saix scoffed as he lazily looked back at Vanitas through the white sockets of his helmet.

"No. No shots. We need to stay here. This is where Larxene showed me they would pass by," Terra explained as he intersected his legs and again propped himself up within the door frame.

Larxene could project visions into another person's conscious through physical touch. It was excruciating. Terra hated when it was required for him to receive visions in order to successfully carry out missions. It was like she was electrocuting him from the inside out.

"There should be an Inn around here somewhere," Terra heard a strong male voice coming down the moss-covered the street.

"Right on schedule," he informed his partners as he held his relaxed posture.

Vanitas huffed and rolled his eyes within his sleek helmet and Terra again crossed his arms as he waited for his prey to come into view.

Aqua and Riku rounded the street corner and her heart sank, her breath hitched, and her knees almost buckled. Dark Knights were here and not the standard kind. They were looking right at her…as if they were expecting her.

Riku instinctively held his arm in front of his cloaked friend.

"Stop," he softly instructed even though Aqua gave no indication that she wanted to keep walking.

Terra scoffed inside his thick armor. He hated how accurate the Seer Sages visions could be. Larxene's vision had been eerily precise. The time of day, the clothes they wore, the way they walked and even the reaction they had when they noticed them was _exactly _the same.

"Well, well, well," Vanitas spoke first "If it isn't the half-baked keyblade master."

"Hello Vanitas," Riku acknowledged his fellow dark keyblade wielder but not the insult that fell from his tainted lips.

Aqua tried to vanish behind Riku and her black hood as Vanitas gradually began closing in on them. Large water colored eyes glanced behind the crazed keyblade master. Terra and a knight in spiked armor she had never seen before stood casually behind their comrade. They had not budged since she saw them.

"Word is you are traveling with a turncoat," Vanitas said as he glanced behind Riku at the hooded girl.

Aqua could not see his face or his eyes but she knew he was glaring right at her. _So they already know that I am going against them to find my sister._

"Or is this your new girlfriend?" he teased before snickering abnormally within his smooth helmet.

"Enough," Terra stopped the nonsense as he approached the immobile duo.

The hidden girl shrank even more as the bronze man approached them.

"We just want her," Terra stated as he inclined his head at the hooded girl, "And we _will_ take her."

The muscular warrior began straightening his black and gold gauntlets "So, you have a decision to make. Either you hand her over and you can go about your business, or you can resist us and we will take her anyway."

"If you hand her over your life will be _a lot _easier," Vanitas threatened as he took out his keyblade and began chipping dried blood off the jagged edges of his keyblade.

"Aqua. Run," Riku whispered to her as he summoned his dark keyblade in his gloved hand.

The decision had been made and Aqua bolted. Riku did not have to tell her to run twice.

The instant Terra saw the concealed girl move he took off after her.

"You two take care of him!" he shouted as he ran after his target.

Saix summoned Claymore as Vanitas lunged at Riku. The dark keyblades violently collided and blackened sparks flew from the ferocious impact.

The girl's hood fell as she ran. Aqua did not even bother with fixing it. They had found her. _No sense in hiding now._

Her lungs started to burn as she gained a steady increasing pace. The terrifying sound of clinking savage armor prickled unpleasantly at her ears and she knew at least one of them was already following her. Aqua ran not only for herself, but for her sister. She could not get captured. Her sister's safety and well-being depended on it. Kairi needed her. She needed her to be free. The elder sibling would be worthless to her sister if she was taken captive or killed...

The lethal sound of Dark Knight armor grew louder and bashed against her sensitive eardrums. He was gaining on her and she would have to go on the offensive soon.

Aqua lowered her body temperature as she prepared to use magic to attempt to escape the predator on her heels.

The girl was fast, Terra would give her that much but he was persistent. All he had to do was catch her. She could not best him physically. If he got his hands on her it would be over.

Her indigo hair flew wildly behind her as she continuously rounded the town's maze like alleyways. She would run out of new paths to take soon. It was only a matter of time before she would collide with a dead-end or a waterway without a bridge to carry her into the next district. The serene maiden did not know the layout of this town and it was a major disadvantage. The only sense of direction she had was the direction the Dark Knight was chasing her in.

Ice began to build in her veins as chips of frost began to form on her skin and started to trickle off her body, leaving an icy trail behind her.

Terra could see the faint, glimmering pieces of ice manifesting on her.

_Is she conjuring? _he thought to himself as he summoned his wide keyblade to his hand.

The warrior was not about to let her use magic.

The knight reeled the keblade far behind his head as he prepared to strike the back of her head and knock her unconscious. Aqua's eyes widened as she saw the dark man's shadow consume her own shadow that laid on the ground before her. Terra's shadow held its keyblade high over its head and the young woman gasped and summoned Rainfell. With amazing reflexes Aqua spun around and quickly caught the fatal blow of the massive keyblade with her own but Terra's force was too much and she collapsed onto her back with the knight looming on top her. Their keyblades intersected violently and bright orange sparks fell off the grinding metal of the conflicting weapons.

Terra placed another hand on the hilt of his keyblade and applied more pressure onto the woman's blade as he dug his foot further into the ground she vulnerably laid on. Grunts and moans erupted from her staining throat as she fended off the colossal keyblade's advances toward her body. Aqua glared furiously into the lifeless face of his helmet as her teeth harshly scraped along each other within her clenched mouth.

He was twice her size and she would never be able to overpower him. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly through her nose as a pool of ice began to form at Terra's metal feet. With as much strength as she could muster she recoiled her legs and thrusted both her feet into his armored stomach.

A muffled guttural sound blasted out of the male keyblade master as he lost his footing and stumbled backwards. As soon as the barbarian was off of her the determined female rolled off her back onto all fours and began crawling away from the staggering young man in black armor. The blue-eyed girl gradually crawled back onto her feet and began hobbling forward as she gradually regained her natural grace.

Her feet soared over the cobblestone until she finally reached the dead-end she had been anticipating. Her feet teetered on the edge of the aging, cracked cobblestone as her arms flailed frantically in order to regain her balance. Panic stricken eyes widened as she stared down at the surging, watery channel below her.

Terra eventually caught up with her after being taken off guard by his feisty quarry and smirked as he noticed the dead in that laid before her.

_It's over Blue,_ he thought inwardly.

Just as he thought the young woman had nowhere else to go she swung her dainty hands out in front of her shimmering, frost kissed body in an upward motion and created a frozen path leading to the building tops behind her.

_Sorcery. Damn white witch! _He cursed.

The sapphire girl began fleeing up the icy inclined trail with unbelievable amounts of grace. The armored man clumsily slipped and slid all over the ascending magical stairway and leapt at Aqua as he desperately tried to grab her before she reached the safety of the rooftops. His gauntleted hand managed to grip the bottom of her black cloak.

The blue keyblade wielder choked as the garment cut off the circulation of her neck. She desperately grabbed at her rasping throat as Terra pulled on the garment trying to reel the girl back to him.

"Let go!" she screamed as she whirled around to stop the strangulation.

Her hand was suddenly coated in a blinding white light as she shot glacial frost onto Terra's arm and his faceless helmet. His hand was ablaze from the intense cold of her ice, but he was _not_ letting go.

Aqua inhaled as deeply as she could before blowing more wintery ice onto Terra. The entire right side of his helmet was frozen and the magical frozen liquid was spreading and making its way into his helmet and onto his warm face. It hurt. It hurt like hell, but he was so close to conquering her he could not succumb to the pain the her unique Blizzard spells inflicted upon him.

"I said _LET GO!" _she shouted from scorching, deflated lungs before she gracefully whipped her leg around and kicked Terra harshly on the frozen side of his face. The featureless helmet shattered like glass as they both tumbled cruelly through the thin arctic pathway and back to the hard, unforgiving ground.

Aqua returned to her uncoordinated feet as quickly as possible and looked over at the crouching, seething Dark Knight.

Pupils within radiant sapphire eyes dilated. Over half of the front of his helmet was gone and she could see half of his..._face_… Aqua was not sure what baffled her more. The fact that he actually_ had_ a face or the fact that it was…a human face.

The aquamarine female had always pictured a monster underneath the helmet, a beast with toxic red eyes, sharp cannibalistic teeth, and rotting black flesh. She had never envisioned a _genuine_ face…no…not a face…not a human face. Especially not one with smoldering blue eyes, straight chalky teeth, and tan skin…

Terra glared at her with one deep, electric blue eye. Aqua did not have to see both of his eyes to feel the intensity of his gaze penetrating through her and into her bones. His pristine teeth were clenched and barred as thin strands of chocolate-brown hair danced over his brutally blue eye. His armored chest heaved rigorously as his rasping breath hissed through his tightly clenched snarling teeth. What remained of his helmet was cracked, chipped and fractured.

After being hypnotized by the enraged knight for what seemed like a short eternity, Aqua decided she should make a break for it before the combatant rose from his crouched kneeling position and came after her again. Rapidly she repaired her ruined, icy stairway and unzipped the heavy, cloak as she ran up the slippery slope. She did not want to get strangled again.

"So you want to use magic?" he yelled at the girl who now sprinted across the building rooftops, "Alright! Let's use magic!"

Terra slammed his metal boot firmly into the earth and a huge land mass erupted from the ground that launched him to the rooftop Aqua sprinted across. The black cloak finally fell from her body and she felt the earthquake he commanded shake the buildings and she knew he had gotten up.

Her muscles ached, cramped, and begged for rest as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Soon she realized that traveling on the rooftops was much slower than running along the grass and streets. Her sky blue eyes examined the terrain before her as she looked for a space disappear into.

_I can't outrun him but maybe I can outsmart him._

Finally her eyes took in a small crevasse between a long building and a rocky, moss topped wall of a hillside that marked the outskirt of the town and disappeared down into it. She summoned a snowfield onto the concrete to lessen the impact of the fall. Snowflakes danced and fluttered all around her as her body collided with the ground. Bright azure eyes darted back and forth across the shaded passageway. The young woman was almost back to the town square where the chase started. She was almost back at the tavern...

As she began sprinting in the opposite direction she frequently peered over her shoulder for an infuriated Terra. Her entire body was absolutely covered in a constant gnawing pain from all the running, fighting, and magic use. She was too tired for this kind of exertion.

The sound of rattling, lethal armor no longer violated her senses. With trembling legs she stopped walking so she could listen for _him_. Everything was deadly quiet. All she could hear was the ruthless thudding of her hyper heartbeat in her blood filled ears and the sound of surging water that gushed from the stone waterfall at the hillsides base as it emptied into one of the many city water channels.

With a heaving chest she turned on her heel to run out of the town towards the woods where she stood a better chance of escaping. She turned swiftly and crashed into bone-chilling carapace and unearthly sounds reverberated off the collision. Gauntlet covered hands savagely seized her innocent wrists. Reluctant cobalt eyes traveled up metal abs and a gargantuan chest plate to a fractured helmet. A flawless mouth hung in a flat, lifeless line and a solitary royal blue eye silhouetted by brown tresses scowled at her. It was Terra. Terra had caught her.

Terra could feel the temperature dropping inside the blue girl's wrists and he knew she was about to use her powerful magic again.

"Stop!" he commanded as he tightened his armored grip on her wrists and twisted his hands, grinding the jagged metal into the tender skin of her wrists.

Aqua wailed as her knees gave from the intense and sudden pain. The young woman would have fallen to her knees if Terra was not holding her up by her wrists.

"Did you get her?" Vanitas called as he approached them from around the huge building corner.

Terra was panting from exertion.

"Yeah. I got her," he said in between ragged breaths as he peered down at the cerulean maiden. Aqua glared at him with rage brewing in her icy eyes.

Vantias and Saix were dragging Riku by each of his arms along the cobblestone of the street. The demon knights threw the unconscious keyblade master to the ground before Aqua and Terra.

"Riku!" the cobalt female cried as she tried to run to him. She had completely forgotten about Terra's harsh hold on her wrists the instant she saw Riku.

"Ah, ah, ah!" the knight holding her called as he reeled her back by her wrists.

His grip was absolute agony. The metal that made up his gauntlets ripped and tore her skin with every move she made. The more she moved the tighter the grasp became and the deeper the lacerations on her wrists got.

Terra repositioned his hold so he could hold his captives wrists with one of his hands. Aqua could not help but notice how massive his hand had to be in order to hold both of her wrists so firmly. _Or how small my wrists are…_

The warrior roughly discarded what remained of the fractured, partially frozen helmet.

"You know what Blue?" He shook his head and brought his hand up to his bleeding lip, "I think you busted my lip."

"Good," she hissed as she looked away from his face and focused her eyes on the ground in front of Riku's crumpled body.

Aqua hated how human_ he_ looked. The revealed knight was not ugly. In fact, he was even less ugly with the rest of his face exposed. The maiden had been hoping that he would look worse once the rest of the helmet was gone. He didn't.

When Terra turned slightly to face his comrades Vanitas began to laugh uncontrollably once he saw the vacant helmet and Terra's hemorrhaging mouth.

"She totally fucked up your helmet!" he laughed even harder "Damn! She got you good!"

Aqua continued to squirm as the knight holding her again grabbed each of her wrists individually.

"What do we do with this one?" Saix asked as he placed a heavy booted foot over Riku's skull.

"Wait!" Aqua pleaded as she peered back up at Terra, "Please, please don't hurt him!"

Terra raised a dark brown eyebrow at her plea.

"Why not? It would be easy," he stated as he glanced down at the defeated young man "Saix could easily bust his head _wide_ open. All he has to do is add a little bit of pressure and _**POP**_!" Terra shook the girl by her wrists for emphasis.

The Dark Knight whipped Aqua around in front of him to watch Saix. Placing her partially bare back to his chrome chest and wrapping his powerful arms around her while he chained her creamy, imprisoned wrists to her quivering stomach. The Light keyblade wielder helplessly shivered from the contact. Her skin was still unnaturally cold from her spell casting and his normal body temperature felt like an inferno.

Terra felt the tremor run through her body. The knight in black armor smirked and he compressed himself even further into her back. Tightening their bizarre embrace, he applied pressure to her stomach and pulled her painfully close to him. Aqua tensed, the contact was too much.

"Then you could watch his skull splinter and witness his brains ooze out of his fractured head onto and _all _in between these lovely cobblestones," he purred into her hair covered ear before he gripped her wrists even tighter and placed his temple against her azure head. The knight's touch way too close to being provocative.

Aqua could feel his steaming breath in her ear as he spoke and she repressed another involuntary shiver. His heat was smothering her, it was thick and overbearing just like the man it radiated off of. Her chest retched as she felt his face pressing against her soft hair. Terra's warm cheek brushed lightly on hers and she jerked away from the unwanted caress. He was trying to unnerve her.

"Just like you wanted to do to me!" he roared in her ear as he barbarically kicked the busted helmet he was referring into the wall. Aqua jumped out of her skin as she tilted her head even farther away from him and his fierce voice.

"Go ahead Saix," Terra said dismissively as Saix raised his foot, preparing to bust Riku's head in.

"No! No! Please! Don't!" Aqua cried despairingly.

She felt the bitter caress of the ebony armor retreat from her back before she was coarsely spun around to face Terra again. Their faces were inches apart and his hot breath was slithering across her lips.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't," he said darkly as his victim gazed up at him with pleading blue eyes, "Give me one good reason why I should not allow Saix to bust open his worthless head and let Vanitas stomp his skull into unrecognizable bits."

She wanted to spit in his deceivingly handsome face, but she couldn't. Aqua had to do something. She could not let them kill Riku because of her, because he was helping her. What would a beast like Terra even consider a good reason? Aqua analyzed him. She did not know much about him at all. How could she bargain with him if she did not know what would sate him?

Her mind raced. Earlier she had heard Terra offer Riku a choice. He had wanted Riku to comply. Terra had wanted submission. The monstrous man had wanted to dominate and he had wanted _her_. She would have to give him what he wanted.

"I will cooperate," Aqua surrendered, "I will go with you."

"You won't fight me?" the enraged knight asked with an artificial gentleness.

"No," she answered as she genuinely locked eyes with him for the first time.

Terra could see anger, rage, and hatred swirling in the memorizing blue abyss of her eyes.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you," he sarcastically questioned as he violently and swiftly dug the ridges of his gauntlets even further into her already existing wounds.

"I won't fight you!" the injured young woman screamed as her knees buckled and she collapsed at the knight's feet. Blood began to stream down her arms to her elbows. _Light! Please make him let go!_

Terra continued to hold the girl by her bleeding wrists as he stared blankly over her head.

"You will obey me?" he asked.

"Yes," she whimpered as she closed her eyes.

"You won't cause any trouble?" he could feel her blood seeping into the cracks of his gauntlets.

"No," she said softly so only he could hear her.

"You won't use magic or your keyblade?" her blood soaked into his gloves and the warmth of her blood began stroking his bare, tan fingers and palms.

"No," at this point Aqua was willing to go along with _anything_ to make the horrific pain cease and to protect Riku from a brutal demise.

"You will do what I tell you, _when _I tell you," it was a command, not a question.

"Yes," Aqua answered even though she wasn't sure if he was asking her or telling her. She did not care as long as it satisfied him and the nightmarish tortured ended.

"You…you won't hurt him?" she stammered as her gentle eyes barely reopened.

"Not if you keep your word," he answered as he stared down at the wounded girl on her knees before him.

"I will," she pleaded, as she glanced up at him weakly.

"Then I suppose I won't kill him," he said as the snare around her wrists was finally removed.

A muffled gasp escaped her mouth as euphoric relief washed over her. Cerulean eyes timidly traveled to her damaged wrists. Gruesome scarlet bracelets now marred her flawless skin. Absent-mindedly she began tracing her fingertips along the huge, sporadic, jagged and vulgar gashes in her small wrists. She wanted to heal herself. She desperately wanted to cast Cure on her aching wrists but she just made a verbal contract with the embodiment of darkness that she would not use magic.

"Damn," Vanitas cursed, "I wanted to do more than just knock him out."

"Later," Terra said as he walked around the dazed water maiden and began wiping the excess blood off his savage hands on his hips.

"I am sure we can get a death sentence on him later for helping Blue," he continued as he inclined his head in Aqua's direction, "but for now he lives."

Vanitas scoffed "Why? Because you told the whore of Light that you wouldn't hurt him?"

"Yes," Terra said sincerely.

The knight was a man of his word. He was guilty of many unspeakable acts, but he would not go back on his word. However, the same could not be said for Vanitas.

"Who gives a fuck?" Vanitas bellowed as he violently punched the white, building wall next to him, "She agreed to cooperate! Who cares if we kill him? You said that _you_ wouldn't hurt him. You never said that _we_ wouldn't!"

"She did not want any of us to hurt him. By me she meant all of us," Terra said calmly as he faced the crazed keyblade master.

The bronze warrior's temper had diminished substantially once he had conquered Aqua.

"Details," the vermillion knight challenged. His unnatural blood lust could not be fulfilled. He had tasted Riku's blood and now he craved more. Vanitas wanted to rip him apart and play with his gory entrails.

"I said he lives," Terra repeated sternly as he knelt down to grab Aqua's elbow.

The girl instinctively jerked and pulled away from him. She did not necessarily mean to but she could not stop her reaction to his brutally familiar touch. The azure woman winced and timidly glanced back at the man she was sure was about to do something unspeakable to her for already breaking their spoken agreement.

"Don't fuck with me," he warned as his expression threatened to harden once more.

The cobalt-eyed girl simply stared at him blankly over her shoulder before shakily placing one of her long blue strands of loosely curled hair behind her ear.

"Are you done?" he asked as he reached out for her once more. This time she simply scrunched her face and braced herself for his repulsive touch and his large hand snaked around the curve of her elbow.

"Let's go Blue," Terra said as he lifted Aqua to her shaky feet.

The knight began guiding his newly acquired captive back out of the city by her elbow.

"You're just going to leave him like that?" Aqua yelled as she peered back at her knocked out former escort.

"I can go back and fuck him up some more if you want," Vanitas offered, as he got much too close to her.

Instinctively the blue-haired girl tried to shield herself with the closest object possible, which happened to be the bronze knight. Aqua halfway hid herself behind Terra's large frame before he jeered at her and harshly yanked her back out in front of him. He refused to offer her any form of comfort.

"He may need medical help. He probably needs to be healed." The young woman continued to gaze back at Riku as she slightly pulled against Terra's grip on her arm.

"Probably," Terra shrugged "but we are not waiting around to find out."

"We just knocked him out. I think he will survive," Saix mocked her concern as he passed them and began making his way out of the narrow passageway.

"Can't you heal him before we go?" she asked Terra as she stopped walking and gently tugged at the elbow he was holding to get his attention.

She had seen him show some form of _compassion_ towards her when Vanitas had threatened to kill Riku. The cerulean keyblade wielder had heard him order Vanitas to spare Riku when he did not have to. She knew it was a shot in the dark, but she wanted to make sure Riku was ok.

The Dark Knight exhaled sharply and held his head down in annoyance, "If I do. Will you shut up?"

Aqua simply nodded.

Terra released her cool arm and sighed heavily.

_She better be worth all this aggravation. _

He walked over to the silver-haired man and knelt down beside him. The irritated warrior held out his bloodstained hand over the lifeless keyblade master and his hand illuminated into a blinding cascade of green and yellow. The vibrant colors flowed down onto Riku's body and began to devour his skin. White lights glided over his body and seeped into the injured areas of his body.

Honestly, Aqua was not even sure Dark Knights were capable of healing like that. She had expected Terra to use a Potion of some kind. Cure was a form of white magic and she never dreamed a person like Terra could _ever _conjure anything that could actually _help_ someone. He was a killing machine, wired to destroy. His hands could never bring anything but ruination…or so she thought…

Riku's hand twitched and he groaned lightly.

"Happy now?" the head knight complained as he placed his hands on his knees and got to his feet.

Aqua was far from happy, but she was glad Riku had gotten healed. He likely would not wake for another few minutes. She would be gone by the time Riku came to.

"Can we go now?" the twisted knight coated in red streaked armor complained from further down the alleyway.

The bronze and gold keyblade master did not answer he only reestablished his hold on the girl's arm. Aqua cringed when he wrapped his hand into the curve of her elbow, but she was relieved he was sparing her damaged wrists.

On their way out of Amur the cobalt-eyed girl took her time examining the beautiful town that would forever haunt her with deplorable memories. She was sure this would be the last village she saw before they put her away forever. _Or shut my eyes forever..._

Once they reached the forest Terra and Vanitas summoned their keyblades and tossed them to the lush, leaf covered ground. An azure brow rose at the bizarre action before the discarded keyblades transformed into Keyblade Gliders. Her eyes widened. She had heard of such things being possible for skilled keyblade wielders and masters, but she had never actually witnessed it.

Disappointment and envy washed over her as she realized how much she and the other Light keyblade wielders were limited. Aqua knew she was skilled, but she also knew she had not reached her true potential. The young woman was far from it. She could only cast Blizzard and Cure spells and she only knew basic keyblade techniques. Light keyblade wielders were only allowed to learn the basics. They could never become true masters. Not like Terra or Vanitas…

Sora and Kairi were the most skilled Light keyblade wielders and that was also probably one of the reasons they were both imprisoned. They had become too strong.

Saix threw his spiked Claymore to the ground and it too turned into a form of a glider. His was not nearly as elaborate. Saix's glider looked more like a lunar surfboard than an actual glider.

The bronze warrior released Aqua's porcelain arm and began scratching the back of his head as he stared at his glider.

Terra was trying to figure out the best way for Blue to ride on his glider. He had not anticipated bringing back a conscious victim.

If she rode in front of him he would have more control over her, but she was not dressed for riding on front of a speeding glider. Navy eyes glanced back at the azure girl's attire.

The sapphire maiden with distant eyes wore a simple white top. The garment was short, only falling just above her belly button. Thin ivory straps locked over her petite shoulders. The blouse was only tightly fitted at the young woman's full chest. Below her bust the attire hung loosely around her toned middle. Overlapping triangle-shaped cloths of the garment covered her breasts exposing a moderate amount of cleavage.

His rich blue eyes traveled lower. Below her exposed abdomen was a long and loose flowing sky blue skirt that cascaded around her legs like the embodiment of water itself. The skirt almost shimmered even though he saw no indication of any stones or jewels imbedded in the skirt's rolling fabric. Long but subtle splits run up the outer sides of her low hanging skirt.

_No wonder she was able to move so fast._

If she rode behind him he would not be able to watch her. He would have to trust her to keep her word and he was not sure if he could do that.

Without warning, Terra roughly swept the unsuspecting ice girl into his arms bridal style. Aqua yelped and squirmed against his undesirable envelopment. He was about to sling her onto the front of his glider but he hesitated. The knight felt the natural chill of her skin through his armor. Endless blue eyes gazed down at her writhing milky legs that draped over his ebony arm then back up to the downcast features of her guiltless face. He could not help thinking that she looked fragile…he could not do it. He could not let her get ripped apart by violent wind she would collide with on the front of his glider.

"Fuck," he mumbled under his breath as he placed his captive back on her feet.

Aqua was astonished and not sure how to react to the odd actions of the knight so she simply stood in shock and awaited his instruction. She did not want his anger directed at her again.

"Um," she started as she straightened her disheveled skirt.

The frustrated keyblade master stomped to his glider and slung his massive muscular leg over it. He secured his position and shifted himself further up his glider, giving the young woman space to climb onto the back of it. Thick armored hands clasped the handles of the bizarre vehicle.

The knight inclined his head, motioning to the space behind him.

"Get on," he commanded vacantly.

Aqua scowled. If she mounted the glider she would have to hold onto Terra. The sapphire girl wanted nothing more to do with him and she definitely did not want to touch him in any way. She brought her long luscious blue tresses over her dainty shoulder and began to fidget with her hair as she tried to avoid the inevitable.

"Get on before I change my mind," the man clad in black heeded as he crossed his arms over his sturdy chest.

Azure eyes fell in defeat as she surrendered and made her way to the glider. Trembling hands lifted her skirt in the front as she straddled the unusual ride. The last thing she wanted to do was wrap her arms around Terra. Her mind raced as she frantically tried to think of an alternative. The bottom of his dark cape coiled in her frosty blue lap. The young woman brought her hands to the top of his wide shoulders and grabbed fistfuls of his dusky cape.

The shadowy knight almost laughed when he felt her hands grab his cape. She did not want to hold onto him physically.

_Can't say that I blame her._

The glider began to hiss as Terra leaned forward and prepared to take off. Aqua tensed and lightly rested against his shady back as she held onto his cape tightly. She desperately fought the urge to embrace his waist for support and security.

Loud whistling sounds invaded her ears as the glider underneath her went vertical and shot into the air.

"You two go ahead! I will catch up!" Terra shouted over the loud noises of gliders and blaring wind to his fellow Dark Knights.

He would not be able to fly as high or as fast with Blue clinging to him. On top of that, the knight had _lost _his own helmet so he would not be able to handle the winds painful licks like he would if he was wearing his helmet.

Ominous hands clutched his handlebars much tighter than necessary as he remembered _why_ his helmet was gone. Darkness within him boiled and bubbled over as his temper flared once more as he recalled the girl latching to his cape kicking his helmet in. Her icy breath stinging his skin. His strong jaw clenched at the fresh memory.

Aqua felt the muscles within the menacing armor tense but she could not stop using his frame as a shield from the snaring wind. She tucked her head down, squeezed her eyes shut and placed her forehead on his blackened cape.

_Pretend he is someone else. Pretend he is someone else, _she chanted inside her head like mantra.

The ethereal woman thought of Ventus; his kind blue eyes, his soft blonde hair, and his warm gentle smile. She melded against the cape as she thought of him and the comfort he always brought her but as she nestled into the cloth the smell of earth and moist clay invaded her senses. Ventus did not smell like dampened soil and sweat.

Terra felt the girl behind him nestle her face in between his shoulder blades and his recently reignited anger began to reluctantly fade. The knight discreetly glanced over his shoulder back at her. Curious eyes traveled up her long toned leg to her face. His cape was held tightly in her pink-tinted hands. Her knuckles white from the intense grip she had on the black fabric. Thick navy lashes brushed her pure cheeks while her regal nose slightly scrunched as she pressed her baby blue eyes closed. This was not the girl who attacked him with floods of ice in Amur.

Aqua squeezed her eyes even tighter and tried again to think of her old friend and ignore Terra's strong scent.

_Caring blue eyes, golden blonde hair, fair skin, compassionate grins, affectionate hands that offer solace, reassuring thoughtful words of encouragement…Deep blue eyes. Dark brown hair. Tan earthen skin. Deadly handsome smirks. Murderous gauntleted hands. Scorching thick breath. Melodious threats rippling off his scalding tongue._

The young woman tried her best. She really did but she could not completely remove Terra from her thoughts. Even now he violated her, tormenting her mind and invading her conscious. He was too close to her. His presence was too strong. His glaring aura exploded off his skin and threatened to completely engulf hers.

* * *

The glider descended to the ground and Aqua's gleaming blue eyes shot open. They had landed on what appeared to be some kind of reactor. She was surrounded by steaming chrome, brown, and bronze pipes attached to smokey stone walls that spat toxic steam into the unsuspecting sky.

The man in front of her stood on the glider and waited for her to dismount.

"Get off," he ordered coldly without offering her a glance.

Slowly she lifted her leg and whipped it around in front of her and she removed herself from the Keyblade Glider. She scanned the area but she did not recognize the layout. Aqua had been many places but his place was not familiar to her. Large gray castle walls surrounded her and the bizarre metal platform she stood on. She glanced down at the blue encasement outlined with supportive metal bars below her, an endless light blue pit was beneath the clear glass beneath her feet and more golden bars lined the pit and plunged down into the abyss.

Her morbid escort summoned his giant keyblade back to his hand and he began to rub his eyes with his fingertips.

_He looks…tired._

The aquamarine girl wanted to ask him where they were but she was refusing to speak to him so she decided to inspect the area more. Guards and Dark Knights were _everywhere_. They lined the metal walls inside the colossal stone castle like walls and sat on the unusual cyan railings that traced the platform. Her feet instinctively backed away from them as she accidentally bumped into Terra and he ruthlessly gripped her shoulders from behind. Hands covered in her blood burned her skin and foreign fingertips licked her exposed collarbone. The Dark Knight leaned forward and pressed his blistering lips to her ear.

"Welcome to the Dark Capital," he sneered as he firmly seized her porcelain shoulders.

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! Ok time for some friendly reminders. I want to remind you that this is an alternate universe. In Birth by Sleep Aqua probably could have taken Terra and avoided getting captured, but in this universe Aqua has not received the same kind of training as she did in BBS and Terra is a bit more INTENSE to say the least. In this universe unless you are a dark keyblade wielder you cannot become a master or become skilled. Remember the people of Light are oppressed. The Dark Rule does not want them to ever rise up against them again so Light keyblade masters cannot be running around everywhere. That is why I try to make distinct differences between keyblade MASTERS and WIELDERS. In this universe there is a big difference. Also, if Terra seems a bit bipolar...its because he is. Especially when it comes to Aqua but all of that will be addressed in more detail later so just be patient with me. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! **_


	4. City of Devils

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

**Chapter 4 **

**City of Devils **

Why did they bring her to Hollow Bastion? Wasn't she going to some unknown prison like Kairi? Aqua was in the belly of the beast and she was absolutely terrified. She yanked her shoulders free from Terra's grip and backed away from him only to ram into Vanitas who simply shoved her back at Terra. The graceful Keyblade wielder twirled around and backed away from both of them.

"Surprised?" Saix asked her in his usual deadpan tone "Where did you think we were taking you?"

"I didn't think you would bring me to Hollow Bastion," she admitted as she glared at the men she was being forced to cooperate with.

"The High Elders want to see you," Vanitas said, "so let's go."

The vermillion keyblade wielder grabbed one of her recently mutilated wrists.

Aqua screamed, "Not my wrist!"

But Vanitas did not listen he continued to pull on her shredded wrist, pulling the mangled flesh off the muscles underneath.

"I'll follow you! I already said I would cooperate! Just let go of my wrist!" she pleaded desperately as she tried to regain control of her arm.

The aquamarine girl could not stand the pain she could swear she felt his claw like fingers grazing against the bone of her wrist. Tears began to prickle at the back of her stunning eyes but she would not cry. Not now. They would not see her cry. She would not give them the satisfaction.

"Vanitas. Stop," Terra commanded, "She said she would go. We made a deal. Just watch her."

The knight with navy eyes rubbed his temples. He was tired of the senseless violence. It was true that he was the one that harmed her in the first place but that was different. He was breaking her. Now that he got what he wanted and she was being compliant, the violence was unnecessary.

The captured girl heard the Captain of the Dark Knight's command and in the short time she had spent with the brutes she had learned that what Terra said went, so she took the opportunity to rip her arm away from Vanitas. Terra had basically given her permission to do so and that was good enough for her.

The only reason she was being obedient was to avoid that kind of treatment. The azure young woman was not stupid. She knew the knights would get their way regardless and that she had two options. Aqua could fight them and receive treatment similar to if not worse than the kind she received in Amur…or she could be cooperative like Terra had demanded and avoid the horrible conduct.

Dealing with the Dark Knight's was unavoidable at this point but she had to admit that dealing with the more docile Terra was much better than the enraged one. The bronze knight was never pleasant but she had to choose the lesser of the two evils.

"Bitch," Vanitas hissed as she spitefully pulled her arm away from him and he seriously considered striking her across her disgustingly pretty face.

Aqua felt a vaguely familiar hand graze against the small of her back.

"Move," the head knight glowered as he pushed at her bare skin. His touch was almost gentle despite his harsh tone.

"Where? Like I know where we are going," she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She was pushing it, she knew that but she was suddenly feeling bold.

"You are going wherever I tell you you're going," he countered as he loomed over her and just like that her slight boost in confidence was shattered.

"Fine. After you," Aqua stated as she tried to soften her spiteful voice.

Terra completely ignored her statement "Go ahead Saix. She will follow you while Vanitas and I will surround her in case she gets any ideas."

"I would like to remind you that _getting ideas_ in Hollow Bastion has gotten _a lot _of people publicly executed," Vanitas threatened and Aqua nodded her understanding without looking at him.

The dark hand flattened against the skin between her ivory shoulder blades and nudged her forward as Saix began exiting the reactor site.

The sapphire female was led up stone steps and was led to a lengthy aqueduct lined by castle like walls and rectangular hedges on each side of the channel. As she silently walked her bright cobalt eyes noticed the large moss like foliage that hung from circular citadel like establishment they walked toward. A beautiful fountain with multiple streams spurting from its invisible belly magically jutted from the building's top. It was twilight and the water gushing from the fountain held a gorgeous tawny and orange hue.

_Its beautiful, _she mused in absolute astonishment.

Aqua had never expected the capital of the Dark Realm to be so…pretty. She timidly glanced back at Terra who was staring off blankly into the distance. Just like she had never expected Terra to have a face. Everything about the Dark Realm was misleading.

After reaching the end of the aqueduct they met even more coppery, rusted metal and bizarre machinery that pumped life into the massive city's pipe like veins that ran through every part of the Dark Capital.

Saix led Aqua down a descending and spiraling concrete angular pathway that was covered in pale white lavender stones. Darker protruding triangular stones containing shades of navy often marred the smooth surface of the otherwise flawless pathway. Golden pipes lined the walkways and prevented travelers from plummeting down the endless abyss that lay below the golden railings.

Eventually the pathway fanned out and became a circular area. Beyond the rounded layout was a squared entryway. The blackened entrance then took them to the Fountain Court. Flora covered the lavender walls that encased the square fountains that filled the area. Streams erupted from the ground like geysers in front of the gushing and overlapping stair like fountains. The cubed fountains were embedded in a shallow lily pad covered pool while water was overflowing and rippling down the glowing pink and purple sides of the towering square fountains.

The cobblestone they now walked on was much more colorful than that of the harsh pathways within the aqueduct. Armor clinked and rattled as the men walked over the tiny bridge that held its visitors over the shallow water of the concrete pond.

Finally, after walking up more moss kissed stairwells they finally reached the capital's town and Aqua heard Terra groan behind her.

"What?" Vanitas asked as he stopped to regard his fellow knight.

"I'm not wearing my helmet," the exposed knight said simply.

Aqua raised a blue eyebrow. She did not get what the big deal was. In her opinion him not wearing his helmet was an improvement.

Saix almost chuckled "This will be interesting."

_Yeah, for everyone else, _Terra huffed inwardly.

Knights were not supposed to show face in public unless given permission or if they were off duty. The bronze knight was not off duty nor had he been given permission to remove his helmet. As some form of celebrity within the Dark Capital, going out in public can be trying enough for Terra even with his helmet on. Dark Knights were recognized throughout Hollow Bastion _with _their armor on.

Terra was going to loathe this.

"Alright, Blue," the helmetless knight addressed Aqua and grabbed her shoulders, making her face him, "We are about to enter the center of town and there will be _a lot _of citizens around. I recommend you not make a spectacle of yourself. I would rather not violate you in public, but I will if I have to."

She was not looking directly at him. Her eyes were distant and unfocused. Cobalt orbs would gaze in his direction, but they never made contact with any part of him. It annoyed him, but he was getting use to it. That was just her way of tolerating them and he would have to accept that.

"Want to keep up appearances?" she questioned his alleged supremacy and his eyes widened before narrowing at the girl who just insulted him.

"It is recommended but not necessary. Unlike you and yours, the people here actually understand the way things work," Terra replied with bitter confidence.

"Oh, I understand how things work. I just don't accept it," Aqua challenged him again as she stared down at the ground between them.

"Well, the people here _do. _Maybe you can try to learn a thing or two about respect from them while we are here," the knight argued as he resisted the urge to reopen the wounds on her wrists yet again.

"Sure," the icy keyblade wielder spoke with false kindness and placed her elegant hands on her full hips "but do I have to grovel and worship you on our way through too?"

"It wouldn't hurt," he hissed with massive amounts of scorn in his voice and liberated her shoulders.

Aqua smirked at him with equal amounts of scorn.

During their argument Saix and Vanitas had left them and made their way into the Center Square.

Terra sighed and shoved Aqua out in front of him as they began their trek into the center of the capital.

The sapphire girl instantly wanted to hide behind the man she had just been clashing with. Citizens of Hollow Bastion were everywhere and they were all staring at them. The residents filled the garden like square that was surrounded by cottage like homes and establishments. It was shockingly quant. Tree like shrubs and vibrant flowerbeds filled the area. Beautiful swirling designs covered the center of the square's elaborate street.

This part of the capital looked like a home, like a place normal people would inhabit and carry out their daily lives.

_The Overlords must want their citizens happy. Keep up the illusion I guess, _Aqua scoffed to herself.

She walked close to Terra's side as people whispered and pointed at the blue haired maiden that walked with their hero. Girls of all ages swooned and giggled as the armored knight passed them. Aqua rolled her cerulean eyes. _Of course they drool over the monster. _

To the cobalt girls surprise Terra did not look impressed. If she did not know any better she would think he almost appeared embarrassed or ashamed.

The darkened warrior desperately fought the urge to cover his face. Normally, he would gladly receive any and all attention from the opposite sex, but Terra was not supposed to be exposed like this. The women fawning over him were taken back by the fact they could see his face while his body was still adorned in ebony armor. This was a rarity. They had likely seen his face before but only when he was in his casual attire, not when he was on duty as a Dark Knight. It was dishonorable and degrading to his status to show his features like this, but if he had to show face it was best that it was at his home and not some other city where the impression of immortality and unearthly power would be much more important.

The watery female could hear everyone's comments. They wanted to know why she was there, why she was with Terra, why she had blue hair, and if was she a Child of Light. The residents called her unnatural, an abomination, a traitor, a heathen, a peasant, and many other deplorable names. These people clearly supported the Dark Rule with unmatched fervor. She wanted her cloak back so she could hide.

The earthen knight and the icy maiden finally caught up with Vanitas and Saix as they left the square and entered a vast area of luxurious gardens filled with many diverse arrangements of flowers, trees, and shrubs.

"You're lucky she is funny looking," Vanitas said as they began ascending one of the large stone stairways within the gardens "most of the townspeople were too distracted by her to notice that your helmet was gone."

_I'm not…funny looking…_ the young woman thought as she suddenly felt self-conscious and looked down at herself.

"The women noticed," Saix teased as he nudged Terra with one of his armored shoulders "isn't that right, pretty boy."

Vanitas and Saix chuckled as Terra punched Saix in the same shoulder that had nudged him.

_They are like…brothers…_ Aqua couldn't help but notice. Thinking about brothers made her think of her family and thinking about her family hurt so she repressed it. _I can't think about that. Not yet. It is just too much. _

After traveling up another large set of stairs the small group reached an enormous gateway and Aqua hesitated. She was getting closer to the Overlords and she did not want to know what they wanted with her.

"Come on," Vanitas called back to her impatiently from the apex of the staircase.

The top of the gateway contained a carving of the Unversed Crest while tapestries of the Heartless Insignia and the Nobody Emblem hung on each side of the colossal gateway that marked the entrance to the morbid citadel.

Aqua was led through the foreboding gateway and up another massive stairway. Once they passed through another gateway identical to the first everything changed. The shades of gray, silver, and navy vanished and were cruelly replaced with harsh shades of red, orange, rust, and gold.

They had reached the stronghold.

The palace was so tall she could not see its pinnacle but she could see the tremendous chrome columns that supported the peculiar building. The citadel was a hodgepodge of gears, misplaced protruding towers, and pipes that drooled bizarre toxins into the ozone. It was the most unusual castle she had ever seen.

"Could there be anymore stairs," she huffed softly as they climbed another oversized stairway that led to the palace's massive crimson and gold trimmed dual doors.

Outside the colossal doors stood two guards that acknowledged the knights and opened the door for them. Aqua didn't know what to do with herself and she instinctively began backing away from the castle's mouth.

"Welcome to The Tarnen Palace," Saix said as he brushed past her and entered the elaborate castle.

With curious eyes the blue-haired maiden glanced at Terra, "Tarnen?"

"It means to conceal," he answered without looking at her as he one again placed a hand on her back, encouraging her to enter the building.

Upon entering the palace she noticed that there was even more red everywhere. It coated the floors while burgundy lined the walls. Everything was touched by blood.

The enormous doors of the palace shut harshly behind her and she jumped involuntarily.

"Think you can handle her from here?" Saix asked as he faced the bronze knight next to Aqua.

"Yeah. It should be fine now that she is in the palace," Terra answered and peered down at the sapphire girl at his side.

"Have fun you two," Vanitas said with extreme sarcasm as he disappeared down one of the blackened hallways.

Ebony and burgundy licked the towering walls that were coated in expensive paintings and more tapestries of the emblems, crests, and insignia of The Dark Realm.

Terra impatiently snapped his fingers and motioned for Aqua to accompany him. With reluctant feet she followed him down the blood stained hallways.

The long halls with high, blackened ceilings were surprisingly empty. Every now and then the frosty maiden would see a servant or a maid, but she mostly encountered large vases, bizarre sculptures, and ornate floral designs.

After a short eternity they finally reached a pair of the largest dual doors she had ever seen, they even seemed bigger than the entrance doors. _They are in there._

"Welcome back," an unfamiliar velvety voice graced her ears.

"Marluxia," Terra simply acknowledged the man and crossed his arms in obvious annoyance.

The male Terra called Marluxia wore a regal, ebony, and ragged tuxedo. The tattered, black jacket was casually unbuttoned and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Studded fingerless leather gloves adorned his sizable hands. Meanwhile, a large pink neckerchief was secured tightly around his neck and traveled down the front of the opened jacked.

"Is this her?" Marluxia asked elegantly as he politely faced Aqua.

"That's her," the knight answered harshly "but you already knew that didn't you."

Rich, dark blue eyes glared at the seer and Marluxia snickered.

The Dark Knight proceeded to rolled his eyes. Marluxia knew good and damn well that was her, he was one of the seers that had recommended he go after her in the first place. He just wanted to fuck with her. Blue did not know he was a Seer Sage and he was playing dumb to gain the upper hand. He was likely trying to subtly prick knowledge from her brain as they spoke and it would be easier to pry from a victim that was unsuspecting of his abilities.

"You should watch your tongue," the man with salmon colored hair cautioned.

"Greetings my dear," Marluxia continued and welcomed her as he gave her his best artificial smile.

Cerulean eyes fell uncomfortably to the maroon floor as she halfway smiled at the elegant and poised man speaking to her.

"Should I bring her in?" Terra asked the male seer.

"Yes. We have been expecting you," the man clad in a black jacket smirked as he pushed open the gargantuan doors.

The Dark Knight grabbed Aqua's milky arm and guided her through the door behind Marluxia.

The trio made their way down The Grand Hall and the young woman's heart felt as thought it would beat right out of her chest. This was The Dark Overlord's throne room.

The unholy trinity sat at the head of the room in three gigantic charcoal thrones with bright red cushions. She could feel their wicked orange eyes on her.

Darkness engulfed the entire room and she could feel the corruption in the atmosphere. The gloom was so profuse her cobalt eyes could almost see the manifestation of darkness inside this diabolical room. The blackness' hot, putrid breath inside the room was causing her vision to blur. Three high elders turned to six then nine, and finally one then back to three.

Faint surges of darkness floated through the air and lovingly stroked the bodies of those at the front of the Grand Hall. The blackness oozed down the walls, slithered across the floor like infernal serpents, and suspended in the air like inky pollution. Aqua blinked her eyes rapidly to clear the fraudulent mirage before her. She knew she was the only one able to see the harrowing illusion. _I am going crazy...__  
_

The people in this room condemned her. She could hear the vicious curses of the Darkness itself. It wished to destroy her and the Light the she possessed. It wanted to devastate her and bring ruin to all that she stood for. It lusted for her contamination. It desired to permanently snuff out her Light and replace it with murky oceans of shadows. The radiant maiden was a revolting, blasphemous disease within the sanctity of the sinister room.

Once they reached the three thrones that contained the three high elders, Xehanort stood from the highest throne and Marluxia took his stance next to Larxene and Zexion.

All three of the Seer Sages were here and Terra suppressed a cringe. If all three of them were there then they must have thought that this matter was of great importance. _That or they were here for other matters and simply stayed out of curiosity._

"Welcome, Aqua," Xehanort said gruffly as he lurked down the crimson steps to the elevated thrones.

That was the young woman's cue to bow, but her knees did not give. She did not answer the bald man and she did not kneel.

Terra knew she was not going bow willingly so he roughly grabbed her shoulders and forced her to her knees before The Overlords. The cerulean maiden whimpered and struggled against the ebony warriors unwavering hold.

Xehanort continued descending the large crimson steps leading to the thrones and stood in front of Aqua. A gloved hand gripped her chin and brought her face up.

"Do you know why you are here, girl?" the elderly man with disturbing yellow-orange eyes asked as he squeezed her jaw.

"Kind of," she spat as she continued to squirm against the men holding her.

"We have seen you. We saw you leave your world in search of you sister. We have seen what will be. We have seen what you will do and what you _could_ do. That is why you are here," he answered for her as Aqua's chin jerked within his clutches.

"You are to be rehabilitated here. You will live here and learn to abide by our rules. The Elders, the Seer Sages , and even we High Elders will teach you our ways and how to properly conduct yourself. Your rehabilitation will last but a year. After that we will decide if you are capable of being released back into the world or if you must be handled in another manner such as imprisonment or execution," he explained as he released the thrashing young woman's chin.

It was standard rehabilitation procedure. Terra had witnessed them countless times, but he had only seen about two _successful_ rehabilitations. The rest had ended with some form of punishment or imprisonment.

"This is your last shot at redemption," Xemnas heeded as he casually began brushing off his shoulders.

"This is a major kindness on our part," Ansem stated from his throne.

"We could have simply killed you or put you away, but we have decided to offer you a second chance. Do not forget that. Should you become more trouble than what you are worth you will be disposed of," Xehanort warned as he placed his poisonous hands behind his back.

"Understand?" he questioned with simmering eyes.

Aqua did not answer for a long moment. She simply glared at the three men she hated with bitterly cold eyes.

"I understand," she hissed as Terra's hands left her shoulders. She did not stand though. She would stand when and if she wanted to. Not because they were _allowing _her to.

"Roxas!" Xemnas shouted and a Dark Knight swiftly entered the ominous Grand Hall.

"Sire?" Roxas answered as he fell to his knees before his sovereign.

"Escort Aqua outside. We must speak with Terra alone," Xemnas ordered and placed a fist under his strong jaw.

"Yes my lord," Roxas said as he knelt down in front of the blue-haired girl.

"Come on Miss," he spoke to her kindly. His gentle voice was the first true kindness she had heard since she had been separated from Riku.

Aqua looked at him with bewildered eyes and glanced back at Terra to make sure he would not force her back to her knees if she stood. His face was blank and unreadable so she decided to stand.

Roxas took the maiden's hand and helped her to her feet. Then he simply led Aqua out of the hall. He did not yell at her nor did he manhandle her.

"You can sit out here," he offered after they exited the Grand Hall.

The aquamarine Keyblade wielder nodded and sat on the vermillion bench that sat against one of the walls of the lengthy hallway.

"Aqua, right?" Roxas asked as he smiled at her. He was not wearing a helmet but his armor was a great deal like Terra's except his armor was pale blue and even paler green with a few red streaks across his legs and torso.

"Mm hmm," she answered as she regained her ability to smile.

"I'm Roxas. It is nice to meet you," he said as he offered his hand to her.

The cobalt-eyed girl grinned and accepted his handshake.

"You're a Dark Knight?" she questioned as she began running her fingers through her slightly curled hair.

"Yeah. Why?" he was a bit confused by the question.

"Your just not at all like the other knights."

"They aren't that bad once you get to know them. They are just doing their job you know?" Roxas responded and sat next to her.

"I guess so." Aqua murmured as she stared blankly at the ruby floor.

Meanwhile Terra was again kneeling in front of his lords. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Aqua will be your responsibility," Xehanort announced as the high-ranking knight rose to his feet.

"What? Why me?" the armored young man did not mean to be disrespectful he just did not want this kind of task "Can't someone else be responsible for her? Xaldin took care of the last one…"

"Because Xaldin was the best man for that particular _job_," Marluxia mentioned casually as he straightened his tattered jacket "and you happen to be the most equipped for this one."

Terra was losing his temper.

"I'm sure someone else is just as equipped to handle, Blue," Terra scoffed at the male seer.

"It has to be you," Zexion finally spoke as he held his enormous, coal-black book with silver edges open and ran his fingertip along the worn pages within it.

The book was filled with the Seer Sages visions and their notes on the future as well as potential futures. Zexion always had it and was always scribbling in it even if he was not having a vision or peering into the future.

The youngest seer wore a simple pale gray button up shirt and traditional black slacks. The shirt was not buttoned at the top nor was it tucked into his pants.

Zexion tossed his sporadic, scruffy bangs out of his face "In order to receive the future we desire you must be the one to handle her. We see no other alternative."

"If she is to have a successful rehabilitation you have to be the one to manage her in between lessons with the elders," Larxene agreed with Zexion "should anyone else be responsible for her, the rehabilitation will end in failure and we will not be able to harness her powers."

"The only way we will be able to use her as we want is if you guard her," Marluxia chuckled darkly. Miserable was written all over Terra's face.

"I am a Dark Knight not a _guardian_," the angered young man spat "I have more important things to do than supervise _that _girl! What about Purges? How will I be able to do my tasks if I have some Child of Light clinging to me?"

"Enough!" Xehanort had lost his patience for Terra disobedience.

"Do you question our decisions? Are you questioning the importance of this matter? Do you think we are that ignorant? Do you truly believe we would assign you to something that would be a waste of your time and abilities?" Xehanort scolded and Terra squeezed his midnight blue eyes shut.

"No master," the knight humbled himself and lowered his head as his coffee-colored locks fell and framed his face.

"The girl is not a handicap. Even if she was, Vanitas and the other Dark Knights are more than capable of performing your duties while you carry out your assignment here," Ansem stated as he waved his hand dismissively.

"You will simply carry out tasks close to home. No extended trips. No long missions. You need to be here so you can keep a close eye on her when we cannot," Xemnas remarked "you have witnessed the Elders participate in countless rehabilitations. Surely you understand how they are carried out."

"Aqua will require less and less supervision with time. These first few months will be critical to its success and that is why you have been assigned to her. She will be rewarded for good behavior and punished for insubordination. Eventually, if things go as planned, she will no longer require your services," Xehanort explained curtly "but for now the spirited girl will not leave your sight. She will live in the palace and she will stay with you."

"She is your charge and her insolence will be your own. If she is fails, you also fail," Ansem warned as he intersected his arms over his partially exposed chest that was covered with a tattoo of the Heartless Insignia.

"You are also responsible with teaching her just as we are. Instruct her. You can gain influence over her," Marluxia suggested. He was referring to a potential future.

The bronze warrior was tired of all the instructions and the subtle hints at the possible future. Terra did not like not knowing exactly what they were speaking of but apparently it was important. He also hated how they talked to him like her future depended on him. Like he would make a huge difference in how their little _project_ would turn out.

They spoke in ifs and when's and he despised it.

Knights were not used for this kind of nonsense. This was a job for an Elder. Yes, one day Terra wished to become an Elder but he was just twenty-one years old and he wanted to be a Dark Knight. But if he wanted to become an Elder in the future this would be a great opportunity for him to prove himself. They had likely already thought of that. This was probably their way of testing _him_ as well.

"Do you understand Terra?" Xehanort questioned his finest knight.

He understood the orders. He was babysitting a brat. He was stuck with her until she learned to act civilized. _If _she learned to act civilized. The pressure was put on him to ensure that she was a success.

They wanted to use her. They wanted her powers and gifts on their side. In order to accomplish all of those goals they needed to go through Terra.

"I understand, my liege," he complied and knelt in submission before the Overlords.

"Take her to Vexen. He can do something about her magic and you need to take her keyblade," Xemnas commanded.

The knight nodded and stared vacantly at the carpeted steps Xehanort stood upon.

"What happened to your helmet?" Xehanort demanded as his brow furrowed.

"S-she ruined it my lord," Terra reluctantly admitted as he shrank into his ebony armor.

"Get another one and do not ever degrade yourself in such a way again," Ansem chastised him coldly as he slammed his fist into his armrest.

"Yes sire," Terra knelt even lower in humiliation.

"Leave us," Xehanort spoke with immense amounts of irritation in his guttural voice as he waved his hand for Terra to get out of his sight.

The humiliated warrior rose to his feet and bowed once more before storming stoically out of the Grand Hall.

With more force than necessary he busted through the massive doors of the Grand Hall and looked for the bitch he would be stuck with for unknown amounts of time.

Aqua was sitting and talking softly with Roxas. The maiden was actually dully smiling and almost giggling with the kinder knight. Terra's powerful jaw clenched at the sight.

"Up," he said emotionlessly and he yanked her to her feet by her forearm.

Terra did not even acknowledge Roxas. He was too angry with him to speak to his old friend. The older knight was not in the mood for his kindness.

"Is something wrong Terra?" Roxas asked as Terra began hauling Aqua roughly down the hallway by her thin arm.

"Yes," was the older knight's only reply.

"Oh well let me know if there is anything I can do," the dual Keyblade master offered as he struggled to keep up with Terra's enraged pace._  
_

_You can start by not being so ridiculously nice to my captive, _he rebuked inwardly.

"It was nice to meet you Aqua," he added before he stopped his pursuit.

"You too," the indigo haired woman said gently as she smiled over her shoulder at him.

"Where are you dragging me to now?" she finally got the courage to ask the man pulling her arm.

"You have an appointment," he vaguely answered as his hand tightened around the soft skin of her appendage.

The deep blue-eyed warrior heard her wince as his fingertips dug into her harmless flesh. _Good. I hope you are as miserable as I am. _

"What kind of appointment?" the cerulean young woman continued to question despite the discomfort she felt.

The brown-haired Keyblade master did not answer, instead he continued to stride angrily down the long passageways. No one dared cross the Dark Knight's path. Terra glared fatal daggers at anyone unfortunate enough to be within the vermillion hallways he tugged Aqua down.

The male clad in black armor was trying his best to hold in his temper, but he could feel his control slipping. He couldn't believe what he had just been assigned with or better yet _whom _he had been assigned to.

_How dare they give me a task so base! She better turn into something amazing. She better be ultimate fucking weapon in disguise. _

When they reached one of the many doors that lined the intricate hallways the menacing knight released her arm and began pounding on the door, he was not knocking, he was clearly pounding. Terra savagely bludgeoned the door until Vexen answered it.

"What is going on, Terra? I demand an explanation!" the green-eyed scientist asked as he examined the unconventional couple that was standing in his doorway.

"I need you to do something about her magic," he stated simply as he leaned nonchalantly in the doorway.

"Oh ho! I see! Come in, come in!" Vexen exclaimed with enthusiasm as he reentered his laboratory like room.

The blue maiden stood behind her irate escort and began to fidget with her milky fingertips.

"You heard the man," Terra huffed as he continued to rest against the burgundy doorway, waiting for his charge to enter the room.

Aqua swallowed hard and timidly entered the blindingly, white room filled with test tubes and bubbling potions. The desk in the room was coated in unorganized papers and reports.

"Sit," the bizarre man instructed her as he pointed to a dirty, metal examining table.

Aqua winced and glanced back at Terra "Do what he says," he commanded impatiently as he rubbed his aching temples.

The young woman did as she was told and sat on the ferociously cold surface of the table.

"Aqua, I presume?" the Elder asked and the cobalt female nodded.

Vexen pulled out a large vial filled with a thick pea green liquid. His hands were covered in latex gloves as he reached into one of the pockets of his lab coat and pulled out a large needle.

The Light Keyblade wielder jumped to her feet once she realized she was about to be injected with an unknown substance.

Before she could get too far Terra had already captured her by her waist and slung her back onto the examining table.

Aqua kicked and screamed as she fought the Dark Knight's hold.

The earthen warrior growled in frustration as he climbed onto the examining table and crawled on top of her.

"Get off me!" she shouted as she hit at him and everything else around her. Vials and test tubes shattered and busted on the hard surface of the floor.

"Stop it!" the knight roared as he forcefully shackled her writs above her head, slamming them onto the table and pinned her legs down with his steel-plated ones.

"Vexen, I seriously recommend you invest in some form of restraints for these damn tables!" Terra cursed the scientist as he continued to writhe with the struggling girl underneath him.

"It is usually not required," Vexen responded condescendingly as he drew the morbid fluid into the large shot needle "it has been ages since someone this..._spirited _has entered this room."

"Just hold her still," the scientist complained as he approached the frantic girl.

"I am doing the best I can! Just give her the fucking shot!" Terra bellowed fiercely as he applied more pressure to Aqua's thrashing limbs.

The needle rammed up into her exposed forearm just underneath the curve of her elbow. The restrained young woman shrieked as she felt the needle grind against her veins and through her nerves as it made its way to the artery it searched for.

Vexen used his thumb to inject the substantial amount serum into her unsuspecting body. Large baby blue eyes widened as she felt the substance slither up her arm and expand throughout her body like a contagious virus. Her body went limp and she suddenly stopped struggling.

Terra exhaled deeply through his mouth as he removed himself from his position over the ice like maiden.

"What did you do to me?" the girl asked as she cautiously sat up and rubbed the bruising puncture wound in her arm.

"Nothing fatal. It will simply inhibit your magic use," Vexen answered as he began sterilizing his needle in a nearby sink.

"My magic? You took away my magic?" Aqua shouted as she scowled at both men.

"Relax, Blue. It's not permanent," Terra responded as he began straightening his armor that became disheveled in their scuffle.

"She will need to receive injections monthly or her abilities will return," Vexen advised as he placed his hands in his lab coat's pockets.

"Got it," the knight answered as he grasped Aqua's good arm and jerked her out of the room. Her wrists were bleeding again after he had held her down on the table.

"That could have been avoided if you would have just been a good girl and taken the shot. He might have even given you a lollipop," the bronze warrior taunted with vast amounts of sarcasm and scorn "next time I suggest you just suck it up and take it. It will make both of our lives easier."

The young girl did not respond She was so sick of him and she was sick of talking to him. Aqua was sure this was the longest day of her life. The torment never ended and she was going numb both physically and emotionally. She was exhausted. The aquamarine woman had never been so tired in her life and the day just kept dragging on. She wanted to sleep. She just wanted to sleep. If she was asleep she wouldn't be here, she wouldn't be with Terra, and she wouldn't be in pain...every single inch of her being was in utter anguish.

Terra led her down even more hallways and staircases until they reached another large burgundy door outlined in golden trim and designs. The false knight in shining armor opened the door for her.

"Ladies first," he said as he faked a bow.

Aqua used what remained of her energy to scoff at him as she entered the elaborate room. The crimson and black room was luxurious to say the least. Across the huge room, beaming moonlight gleamed through the giant glass doors that led to a magnificent balcony overlooking the enormous city. Two mahogany bookshelves filled with vibrant books guarded a cleanly wooden desk on one side of the room while a massive king sized canopy bed jutted from the opposite wall.

A bare mannequin meant to hold empty knight armor sat in the corner next to the lovely bed while another door waited on the other side of the bed. The sapphire girl assumed it led to a closet the size of her room back at The Land of Departure. Azure eyes traveled back to the other side of the room with the bookshelves and desk and noticed another door beside them. _I guess that's a bathroom. _

"Welcome to your new temporary home away from home," Terra complained as he began removing pieces of his armor.

"Wait…this is your room?" the azure Keyblade wielder asked without thinking as she started circling the enormous bed.

"Mm hmm," he grumbled as he removed his gloomy cape.

"And _my room?" _

"That's right. And I assure you I am just as happy about this living arrangement as you are," he stated flatly as he continued removing bits his dark armor.

"Don't I get my own room?" the girl with blue hair asked softly as she wrapped one of her arms around one of the bed's tall banisters and watched him placing the removed armor onto the mannequin.

"Why would we give you your own room? That would be the equivalent of giving you permission to leave."

"Why do I have to stay with you? Why don't they just lock me up somewhere?" Aqua argued as she released the mahogany banister and approached him.

Terra finally removed his bronze chest plate from his aching torso. The sapphire maiden's eyes went wide. She had been hoping that the armor was what made Terra appear so muscular and intimidating, she was wrong. The dark armor only added about an inch to his already massive frame. The man did not need the armor to give the impression of unquestionable brawn, he was big enough without it.

"That is not how rehabilitation works. If they wanted you locked up they would have locked you up," his strong voice quivered and he was losing the small amount patience he had managed to regain.

"I don't understand why I have to stay with you. Why can't I just…"

"Look," Terra interrupted her ramblings and towered over her "I don't make the orders. I just follow them."

He was violating her personal space again and she glanced in the opposite direction.

"You are a tool," the azure girl hissed under her breath.

"I don't give a fuck! I am so tired I couldn't care less! I could be a fucking monkey for all I care!" the knight roared as he threw one of his boots violently against the wall behind his new, blue roommate.

Aqua had, had enough. She lifelessly walked to one side of the bed and sat on the lavish, carpeted floor and rested her back against the bed. The exhausted female brought her sore, bruised legs to her chest, crossed her arms over her knees, and buried her face in her arms. Long, cobalt tresses fell all around her and lightly curtained her entire body.

Reality was cruelly crashing down on her. Her sister was gone, her Master was gone, she was a failure, she had gotten Riku in trouble, she had gotten herself captured, her magic was gone, her entire body was consumed with pain, and she was being rehabilitated by The Dark Overlords themselves. It was a nightmare she could never awake from, because it was real.

She should probably want to cry. She probably should cry, but she just could not bring herself to. Numbness was devouring her and she just did not feel like crying. More than anything she did not want to cry in front of her new..._companion. _

While his unwanted guest was distracted Terra had entered his bathroom to remove the bottom half of his armor and replaced them with loose, beige pants. He walked to the mannequin adjacent to the crumpled girl and placed the remnants of his armor on it. The warrior ran his large hand through his dark hair and exhaled harshly through his mouth.

"Do whatever it is that…you do for bed," he somewhat commanded as he walked to his bed and began pulling back his beds massive vermillion bed spread.

It suddenly became abundantly clear why they wanted her here…with him. It was all part of the rehabilitation. It would be degrading to share a bed with someone you hate, with someone of the opposite sex. This too was a means to shatter her will as well as her dazzling spirit. _  
_

Blue hair flew wildly as her head shot up. Clumsily, the serene girl crawled to her feet and stared back and forth between Terra and the bed. Realization was washing over her.

"I'm not doing _anything_," she answered him vaguely. Aqua meant for the statement to have multiple meanings.

"I wasn't asking," Terra countered as he stopped paying attention to the state of his bed and unenthusiastically inspected her.

"I am not sharing a bed with you," her arms rose and she uncomfortably wrapped her arms around herself.

"Again, I was not asking,"he repeated and placed his fists on his hips.

"I will sleep in the floor," Aqua suggested as her arms criss crossed over her chest and her hands tightly clasped her porcelain shoulders.

"No, you are sleeping in this bed so I will know where you are. I am not stupid. I know you would run or bludgeon me the instant you get the chance," the knight stated as he lowered his arms and made his way around the bed.

"I won't I promise! I am too tired to even think about escaping!" the cobalt maiden begged as she placed her hands innocently over her heart.

"I don't believe you!"Terra yelled as he finally reached her position on the other side of the canopy bed.

Aqua shifted uncomfortably from where she stood and a bright red blush emerged on her pure face.

"I...I have…I've never shared a bed with a man before…" she admitted so softly he barely heard her even from their close proximity.

Terra yanked the covers back from the side of the bed she was standing by.

The knight stood in front of her "There is a first time for everything," he said sarcastically as he fiercely pointed to his bed.

"No," she said as she fearfully backed away from him and his intimidating bloodstained bed.

A dark brown brow rose. He had aggressively fought this girl and yelled at her countless times since their encounter in Amur but he had never seen her show any signs of fear. Not even when he cornered her. Terra had seen many emotions hidden behind her sky blue orbs but he had never seen fear, not until now.

"You think I want to take advantage of you?" he asked darkly as he backed her into one of his walls.

The high-ranking knight was insulted on a thousand different levels.

It was _very_ likely that The Dark Overlords were hoping that he would force himself on her while she lived with him in order to fracture her hope and determination, but he would never actually do it. In fact, it had not even crossed his mind until the moment Aqua _offended_ him.

Terra scoffed "Heh! Vanitas might, but I refuse to degrade myself in such a manner."

The blue-haired girl's back hit the wall and her eyes gaped at him as the hostile man placed his wide hands on both sides of her head, pinning her to the wall.

"I have _never _had to _steal _it. Even if I was going to I would not waste my effort on _you_," he spat, as he looked her up and down with disgust.

"Why would I want someone like you? I am flattered but you are not my type sweetheart," her purred as he seized her dainty chin and forced her to look directly at him.

Aqua glanced at his face but her eyes do not openly regard him. The girl could not gaze at him. Her resentment of him ran to deep. Instead her eyes went distant and cold while she peered in the direction of his face.

"But if I wanted to," the older male pressed the entire length of his body firmly to hers and crushed her against the wall with his domineering hips as he reestablished his bar like arms on each side of her azure head "I guarantee you I could. Do not think I couldn't. Trust me, I am more than capable."

At that moment, Aqua was glad she was virtually numb. However, no amount of numbness could ever deliver her from the brown-haired fiend's overbearing actions. Heat and fury radiated off his bare skin. His hips savagely dug into her unsuspecting, virtuous ones. Terra's toned stomach compressed itself against the quivering plains of her exposed abdomen as his sturdy legs parted hers to emphasize his brutal point.

Aqua had learned the hard way that the vile knight was not all talk. He not only spoke with vast amounts of intensity, he physically proved his points as well. Verbal threats were not enough, he had to demonstrate his possible actions until all the doubts of his threatening remarks were disintegrated.

Terra smirked at her vacant expression and leaned down toward her angelic face. He got so close to her that their noses almost grazed and their lips nearly touched as he spoke.

"But you're in luck. I don't fuck whores tainted by Light," he condemned her as he viciously withdrew his body from hers.

"Now get in the bed," Terra ordered as he peeled her from the wall and shoved her in the direction of the bed.

After stumbling and glaring back at the irritated knight, the sapphire girl reluctantly stripped back the black sheet underneath the bloodstained bedspread and immersed herself in the blackened abyss of sheets.

The menacing young man released a sigh of relief. He was tired of arguing with her and he desperately wanted to sleep. At this point he would have been willing to sleep with anyone just as long as he was able to rest. He would even be willing to cuddle with Vanitas for Darkness' sake!

Slowly, he began his trek to his side of the bed. The Keyblade master sat on his bed and gazed at the girl buried in his bed. He would need some way of knowing she was still in bed with him. While roughly running both of his hands through his shaggy brown hair he contemplated his options.

He could wrap her hair around his hand, but she could just cut her hair and he wouldn't know she was gone until morning. He could hold her skirt or her top but she could just remove them. The best option was to simply lock his arm around her. Terra was not a light sleeper and the best way to ensure she woke him if she tried anything was if he was physically holding her.

The young man could not count the amount of one night stands he had when the lady he spent the night with would wake before him and would begin dressing without him hearing a thing until he was either yelled at or shaken.

Terra slept like the rocks he commanded. He would have to clasp onto her or he wouldn't sense her movements. Blue was extremely graceful, he had learned that lesson well in Amur.

She would hate it, but it had to be done.

The earthy knight attempted to clear his throat.

"Get comfortable and I will mold around you," he put it simply.

"Excuse me?" she bristled and sat up in the bed and accidentally looked into his royal blue eyes.

Their eyes actually locked and Aqua nervously chewed on her bottom lip as her heart sank. Looking directly into his smoldering eyes made her...uncomfortable.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

The tanned young man was not sure why he did not want repeat it…he just knew that he did not want to…

"This day just keeps getting better," she mumbled into his ebony pillow.

The azure female faced away from him and laid so far on her side she was almost on the flat surface of her stomach. The chocolate haired knight watched her tentatively until she stopped moving. When her petite body stilled he took it at his signal to move.

Terra slid down into the bed and covered Aqua's body with the bed covers, creating a barrier of ruby bedspreads and black sheets between them. His thick muscular arm disappeared under the covers and snaked around her waist. Forcefully, he yanked her towards his body causing a soft grunt to escape her lips. The feminine body tensed and resisted him as he melded his larger one to hers.

Her stomach lurched as she felt his warm, bare arm graze her hip then wind snugly around her waist. Immediately she felt nauseous. His warm chest was against her back and she could feel the length of his body behind her. He was shadowing her. Just as she thought she could not stand it for another moment his grasp retreated and instead took a permanent place over the covers that enveloped her. He was sparing her from direct contact…and she was…grateful.

The Dark Knight still tightly held her through the covers, but it was not as bad as it could have been.

His face was resting against the curve of her neck and she could feel his steady breathing. Instantly she noticed that Terra was still very warm, but he was not scorching like he had been in Amur. _Probably because my inner blizzard has been melted…_

Terra shifted behind the maiden a few more times before he settled in the crook of her neck. Lengthy, cobalt tresses covered their pillow and the smell of lavender and a fresh ocean breeze frolicked under his nose. _She even smells like the ocean…_he thought as he buried his face behind her porcelain nape. He was lying on her wavy azure hair but for some reason he did not mind. _It doesn't feel…bad…_he thought before he began dozing off.

The warrior's sultry breath tickled the back of her neck and Aqua unwillingly shivered as she closed her burning, exhausted eyes. His breathing had slowed and his muscles had relaxed. The tension in his body that she had recently gotten much too comfortable with was gone. He was warm and almost tender.

Aqua trembled again from his presence and suddenly she felt tears streaming down her cheeks. Finally she was able to cry. Something about the way he held her, the way his sultry breath fondled her neck, and the fact that he was no longer awake to witness her weep had coaxed her body into succumbing to its much-needed release. The floodgates had been opened and she began to silently sob in the dark room that was only lighted by the pale moonlight that shone through the large balcony doors.

"Sorry, Blue," he mumbled incoherently when he felt her quiver. He no longer wrestled with the thick grip of sleep. Terra had fallen asleep with Aqua in his confining arms.

_**A/N: Thank you for reading! Congratulations on getting through this lengthy chapter! I would give you a cookie if i could. I know this one was a bit longer than the others and I apologize for that. I try my best to keep them all around the same length but sometimes I cannot help how they turn out. Ok in this universe Hollow Bastion looks like Radiant Garden from Birth By Sleep except for Tarnen Palace aka the castle or citadel. The Overlords's castle looks more like a Hollow Bastion (mostly Hollow Bastion) and a Radiant Garden hybrid on the outside, but the inside is my bizarre vision of how I thought Tarnen Palace should appear. In case you haven't noticed I am using like ALL of organization 13 in this story. So if your favorites have not shown up yet I assure you they will eventually. I plan on using almost all of the characters from the Kingdom Hearts series at some point. Just because they have not made an appearance does not mean that they won't as the story progresses. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! **_


	5. Crash Course in Polite Conversation

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy

_She's crying herself to sleep every night _

_Until her eyes shut and she finds better times _

_She wakes when she dreams _

_And sleeps when she wakes _

_Now sleep my sweet girl _

_And dream of better days _

_-Lucero, She Wakes When She Dreams _

**Chapter 5 **

**Crash Course in Polite Conversation **

Aqua had tossed and turned all night. She frequently wrestled with Terra as she fought for a comfortable position. The groggy knight would groan and grumble each time she woke him and forced them to reposition themselves. The sapphire girl repeatedly complained and swatted at the man she shared the bed with. Her warden would simply yawn and mutter indecipherable statements while he waited for her protests to cease.

Despite being in a huge canopy bed with lavish covers and silky, black sheets, the female Keyblade wielder could never find enough serenity to truly sleep. She had been restless to say the least.

Needless to say neither of them had gotten much sleep.

The sun had risen and had taken the place of the luminous moon. Every space in the Dark Knight's room was filled with the brilliant midday rays of the sun and Aqua was not going back to sleep.

"I'm up," she protested as she ripped herself out of her dozing bedmate's masculine arms. Aqua knew if she told him she was awake he would be forced to wake and he would no longer have a reason to bind her with his arms.

Terra groaned languidly and removed his arms from the watery maiden. The off duty knight rolled onto his broad back and stretched his long arms over his head. He had not been asleep, but he was trying to rest as much as he could before Aqua forced him to rise.

While the warrior stretched the young woman took the opportunity to bury herself under the vast amounts of covers.

The male Keyblade master chuckled softly as he watched the azure girl sink down into his bed and coat her entire body up to her head in blankets. He knew she was still tired even though she said she was up. The blue-eyed woman wanted to sleep just not with him latched onto her. Terra was feeling somewhat gracious today despite his sleep deprivation so he decided to allow her to rest while he prepared for his day.

Just as the earthen male was about to leave the warmth and tranquility of his bed to enter his chaotic outside world a delicate knock fell upon his door.

Terra griped under his breath and sat upright in his crimson bed.

"Who is it?" he called politely as he felt Aqua curling into a tighter ball under her cocoon of blankets.

"Its Larxene," a deceiving considerate voice called from outside the massive wooden door.

The man with dark brown hair slung the crumpled covers out of his lap.

"Come in," he complained as he stood up.

"Good morning, love," the blonde seer greeted him as she entered his room gracefully and gently shut the door behind her.

"Larxene," Terra greeted the jade-eyed girl dismissively as he made his way to his bathroom.

The seeress walked to the bed and elegantly sat on it and crossed her pale legs.

"Is that_ her_?" she asked with disgust as the pointed to the mound on top of the deep, ruby bed.

"That's her," the ebony knight replied dismissively as he began running water into his silver sink and started washing his face.

Terra pulled back his bottom lip and inspected his busted mouth. Aqua had gotten him good. He groaned to himself before lowering his head into the sink and washing what remained of the dried blood off his lip and the corner of his mouth.

"How was your first night together? I hope it was better than our first night together," Larxene teased.

"What did you come here for?" Terra snapped agitatedly as he emerged in the doorway of his bathroom.

The tanned young man wiped the remaining water off his chin and mouth as he glared intensely at Larxene.

"You are going to need to wash more than your face. You are filthy," the seer with menacing green eyes fussed as she turned her nose up at him.

"Anyway, I came to invite you and you're new whore to dinner tonight," she continued as she bent down to straightened one of her sharp high heels.

"The Overlords want to get to know _it,"_ she scoffed as she glanced at the heap that was Aqua. "I don't see why they would want to, but they do. If you've seen one Light tramp you've seen them all."

Larxene placed her hands behind her back and reclined slightly onto the bed.

"If I had not seen the floozy's capabilities myself I would still be skeptical. Truthfully, I was shocked that you chosen to watch over her. No one has ever required a Dark Knight before. I suppose the hussy is picky." The seer gracefully put a lock of chin length gold behind her ear.

"I can hear you. I am right here," Aqua finally emerged from her self-made swaddle and scowled at the girl who had already insulted her multiple times in the short amount of time she had been in the room.

Larxene gave an exaggerated sarcastic gasp as she looked at the blue-haired girl, "The white witch _can _speak!"

The seer continued to ignore the Light peasant and followed Terra into his bathroom.

"Did you hear me?" the blonde wench asked as Terra leaned over his sink, digging his fingers into its granite surface.

He heard her all right but he wished that he hadn't. The Overlords had not had a dinner in months. Such events were saved for special occasions and apparently Aqua was a special occasion. They were likely holding this dinner in her _honor. _The dinner was actually going to be their way of humiliating her and ripping her apart. It was an evaluation more than an actual dinner.

"Yeah," he answered and splashed more water onto his face.

"I will come for her later in the afternoon to prepare her for the evening," Larxene announced as she went back to the bed to glare at Aqua.

"Darkness knows she needs it," she proceeded as he sat next to the cobalt girl in the bed.

"I can prepare myself," the female Keyblade wielder argued as she played with Terra's bedspread.

"Of course you can," Larxene condemned her like a child as she patted her porcelain hands.

"I would lose that feisty attitude if I were you," the blonde female warned, "the girl from the last rehabilitation was feisty and lets just say she isn't around anymore."

"What happened to her?" Aqua asked out of pure curiosity.

"You don't know?" the seeress provoked the other female "Well she ended up like most of the others."

The nymph began gazing at her much too sharp fingernails.

"Larxene," Terra scolded from the bathroom doorway.

He was not sure _why_ he cared that Larxene was toying with Aqua he just knew he didn't like it.

"You know what happened to the others don't you?" the mischievous girl asked.

The sapphire keyblade wielder did not answer; she merely continued to watch the seer.

"Oh well our Elder Xaldin was in charge of the last rehabilitation subject we had and she got caught trying to escape so a public execution was held for her," Larxene began impishly.

"You haven't had the pleasure of meeting Xaldin but he wields a _really _sharp lance. So he brought six of his best lances to the execution. They tied her by her hands and feet to the ground in the town square," she continued casually as she continued examining her fingertips

"He had a lance to go through both of her hands and feet and one for her head and finally one to go through her heart," the green-eyed woman pointed to six random spots on the bed to demonstrate the execution of an innocent girl.

"But Xaldin is not your _caretaker, _sweet little Terra is," the golden-haired seeress stated as she glanced over at a shirtless Terra "so if you are executed for trying to run away you won't be impaled to the ground by lances."

"You will probably be crushed to death by stones. Lots of them," Larxene grinned savagely "Because if you fail your…_guardian_ is the one that carries out your sentence."

Aqua glanced across the room at Terra with innocent eyes. Suddenly, Terra's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He knew she was thinking about him killing her.

"Is that true?" she asked sincerely with bright sky blue eyes.

"Its true," the knight answered as his eyes fell uncomfortably to the floor. He did not like the way she was looking at him.

"So let that be even more motivation to for you to stay put," Larxene threatened as she placed a sharp fingernail under Aqua's milky chin and forced her to look away from Terra and gaze at her "I know a runaway when I see one, and you are definitely the kind of person that runs."

The cobalt-eyed girl scoffed and yanked her head away from the seer's razor-sharp nail.

"I will see both of you later in the afternoon," she giggled and stood to her high-heeled feet.

"I suggest you have a better attitude by the time I come back," the jade-eyed seer warned as she shut the door behind her.

"She is a seeress, isn't she?" Aqua asked as she took her cerulean eyes away from the door Larxene just exited from to peer over at Terra.

"Yeah," he answered as he reclined on his bathroom doorway.

The icy girl nodded silently and looked down at her sore, disfigured wrists. The red wounds had finally begun to scab over, but she could tell that it would take a long time for them to heal without treatment.

The brown-haired male noticed that she was gazing down at her mangled wrists.

"I could heal you if you want," the unarmored knight offered as his fingers began drumming his arms.

"I would rather bleed to death," Aqua snapped as she continued to stare down at her deformities.

"That could be arranged," Terra taunted as he grinned widely at the blue maiden in his oversized bed.

The girl pretended to laugh as she started rubbing her weary eyes.

"Do you want to wash off?" the warrior tried again to get some form of compliance from her.

"With you?" she huffed as she rolled her cobalt orbs. Aqua desperately wanted to get clean, just not with him watching her.

"I will have to stay in the bathroom of course, but I won't _physically _get in with you," he complied with a shrug.

"Ok," the cerulean Keyblade wielder reluctantly accepted the offer and pulled the covers off her body and made her way to the bathroom. She didn't want Terra in the bathroom at all, but she _really _did want to take a shower so she decided to comply.

Once Aqua was inside Terra leapt up onto his sink and sat on the countertop.

The young woman pulled back the ruby shower curtain and disappeared behind it. After she created the barrier between her and her _guardian,_ she began removing her clothes. She pulled the white top up over her head and slid her skirt and undergarments down her ivory legs. Aqua stepped out of her sky blue skirt and timidly peered around the corner of the cherry colored shower curtain.

"Yes?" Terra questioned as he watched her from his perch on the countertop made of crystalline, igneous rock.

"Um…I'm just going to uh…put these…out here," she announced as she dropped her jumbled pile of clothes to the black tile floor of the bathroom.

The young man smirked as she quickly vanished behind the curtain again. He resisted the urge to take a catnap on the long sink as he heard her turn the water on in the shower. The natural rhythm of the water gliding off her body was like a lullaby and his eyes began to close as he listened to the heavenly melody.

As Aqua began rinsing her body her wrists began to sting. She knew if she was going to use any form of soap it would be absolute agony, and if she was taking the time to shower she was going to do it right.

Hesitant fingers pulled back the wine red curtain again as she peaked around the fabric. Terra was still sitting on the sink. His exposed back was against the wall next to the top of the sink and one of his legs was propped up on the sink with him while the other dangled lifelessly down in front of the sink's cabinets. The dozing man's head kept lobbing over to one side as he fought the clutches of slumber.

Aqua softly cleared her throat and turned off the water to get his attention.

"Hmm," Terra answered as his midnight blue eyes instantly reopened

"I…um…I want to use soap…but my wrists…." the damp female clasped the curtain nervously as she struggled to find the right words "I…I don't want you to heal me but could I wrap them or something so I can get all this…grime off me?"

"Sure," he responded as he jumped down from his perch and opened the cabinet over the toilet.

Terra pulled out a large gray towel and held it out before her for her to walk into. Graciously, he turned his head to the side and closed his eyes.

The Child of Light pulled the shower curtain the rest of the way back and stepped out of the tub and walked into the towel Terra outstretched for her. As he felt her mold into the towel he helped her wrap it around her sopping, bare body.

After she was enveloped in the towel, the knight patted her shoulders twice, sighed, and made his way to the cabinets below his sink.

The dripping maiden's shoulders tensed and she grabbed her hair. The cerulean girl pulled the long soaked cobalt locks over her nude shoulder and began twisting her hair in her hands while she waited on Terra.

"Catch," he called as he tossed her a roll of white medical tape.

Aqua caught the tape with ease. Terra was constantly surprised by her, he was sure she would struggle to catch the roll of tape like most girls, but her reflexes were amazing.

_She didn't even drop her towel._

Before trying to administer the tape to her lesions, she put the tape in her mouth and secured the knot at the top of her towel. Aqua would rather not flash Terra while wrapping her wrists.

Applying the medical tape proved to be more challenging than she had originally anticipated. The maiden could only use one hand and the tape kept falling off her wound. Then she would feel her towel's knot slipping and she would try to fix it, and when she tried to fix her towel the tape would completely fall off her wrist.

The frosty girl complained under her breath as she continued to struggle with the medical bindings. The knight before her simply stood in place with an amused smirk on his hardened face.

After her fifth attempt to wrap the first wrist Terra had seen enough. He knew she would not willingly accept his help at first, but now that she had failed a few times he was pretty sure she would allow him aid her.

"Here," he said as he grabbed her arm and the medical ribbon.

Aqua's radiant cerulean eyes went wide as he tenderly lifted her arm.

The earthen warrior began wrapping the white bindings around her damaged wrist with ease. His calloused fingertips gazed her arm and palm as he administered the tape. Warm hands held her arm in place as he made laps around the radius of her wrist.

"You've done this before," she broke their peaceful silence as she observed him.

"I am a Dark Knight. Getting hurt comes with the territory," Terra stated matter of factly before he leaned down to her wrist and broke the tape off the roll with his teeth. His searing breath crawled along her milky skin and she repressed another involuntary shiver.

_I really wish I would quit doing that…_Aqua inwardly cursed herself.

As he proceeded to wrap her other wrist the azure Keyblade wielder examined him.

When Terra mentioned getting hurt it made her wonder if he had any scars.

He did. A wide range of subtle scars marred his tanned skin. No one would notice them unless they were close to him or paying exceptional amounts of attention. His body was clearly war ridden. Blades and Light knows what else had brutally kisses his skin.

Most of the scars were faded, white and aged but some of the others were relatively fresh. The newer scars had a pinker tint to them but they would likely turn into a translucent white like the others eventually. The scars would probably be worse but Aqua had seen Terra heal, so he likely cast Cure on himself to lessen their appearance and damage.

Her head tilted and she noticed how absolutely ripped his muscles were. Terra was inhumanly sculpted. He was not bulky but the muscles he did have were deeply carved into his tanned hide. The muscles under his skin were too vigorous for that of the average male. Terra was a Dark Knight. Dark Knights had to be an impenetrable fortress. Aqua did not even want to know what kind of training her roommate had to endure to get those chiseled muscles.

"Okay. That probably won't completely spare them from the elements, but it will probably be better than them being uncovered," he stated as he again ripped the tape off the roll with his immaculate teeth.

The Dark Knight held both of her wrists individually in his hands as he smoothed out any jagged, uneven edges with his thumbs.

Dull blue eyes traveled up her water kissed arms, her fragile looking shoulders, and finally to her divine face. Her baby blue eyes were focused on his ministrations and she did not notice him peering at her face.

Sapphire hair was draped over her shoulder and cascaded down below her towel-covered chest. Azure tresses were compressed to the sides of her face while water glistened on her radiant, exposed flesh. Drops of fluid trickled down her cheeks and fell off her navy lashes as she blinked. She looked so ethereal. Terra was sure if he touched her face she would disperse into thin air.

The knight broke his trance and released her joints "You should finish up before Larxene returns."

Aqua blinked a few times before she returned to the shower. Once inside she removed the towel and held it out for the knight outside. He grabbed the towel and tossed it in the woven basket meant for dirty clothes for the housekeepers to get later.

Terra lazily propped himself against the sink after grabbing a new towel for Aqua.

Moments later she called for him, "I'm finished," a porcelain hand emerged from behind the curtain and impatiently grasped at air while it waited for the towel.

The knight handed the towel to the dainty hand. Shortly after that Aqua emerged. She was bundled in the towel as began wringing the water out of her already water like hair.

"Can I have another towel?" she questioned as she leaned over and began shaking the liquid out of her long hair with both hands.

The Dark Keyblade master didn't answer, but he did obey her request before he vanished into the bedroom.

Aqua followed him into the room as she began towel drying her thick, azure mane, "What did the seeress mean by prepare me?"

Exhaustedly, the moody Keyblade master collapsed face first into his fluffy bed.

"Dress you, clean you, and make you presentable. Shit like that," he mumbled indecipherably into the bed spread.

"I can do all that myself," she argued as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Not the way that they want you to," he continued grumbling into his thick blankets.

"What is wrong with the way I dress myself?" Aqua huffed as she stood next to the bed.

An irritated groan erupted from the male as he rose to his feet "Do you have a dress?"

"No."

"Exactly. So would it kill you to just let us do our job," Terra complained as he squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"It might…" she countered as she again placed her hands on her toweled hips.

* * *

Terra was getting anxious. It was late in the afternoon and the seeress had not come back yet.

The ebony knight paced restlessly while Aqua sat elegantly on his bed with her hands placed in her lap and watched him pace like a mad man.

The male Keyblade wielder could not stand being cooped up like this. After he had put his bronze, gold, and black armor back on he had run out of things to do and arguing with Aqua was starting to get old.

"We wouldn't have to wait if you would have just let me dress myself," Aqua stated smugly as she sat patiently as the foot of his freshly made bed.

Terra growled at her and began pacing even more.

After what felt like a small eternity the knight finally heard the knocking he had been waiting for.

"Finally!" he yelled as he rushed to his door and almost yanked the door off its hinges.

"We are ready for her now," Larxene said simply as she stood in her traditional edgy black dress with grey streaks that resembled lightening blots across her ribs "Bring her when you're ready."

The blonde nymph disappeared from view.

"I have been ready, seer," Terra grumbled under his breath.

"Come on, Blue!" he called irritably to the maiden that sat on his bed and snapped his fingers.

"I have a name you know," Aqua criticized as she rose to her feet and approached the knight and his doorway.

"I know. I just don't care," the Keyblade master replied as he shut the door behind her "Now go."

The cerulean girl reluctantly did as she was told and followed the fair seeress down the labyrinth of hallways.

Larxene led Aqua to a room full of handmaidens, a bulbous dresser, and dressing table with blinding lights.

"Terra, you can wait out here," the blonde woman said as she placed a deadly hand on his armored shoulder "We will call for you if she causes any trouble."

"Behave," the imitation gentleman heeded as his unwanted responsibility vanished into the room with the savage seer.

The high-ranking knight had not been waiting in the hall for five minutes before one of the maids opened the door and peaked around the tiny opening.

"Sir, w-we need you…"a pale girl with jet-black hair stated as her face flushed.

Terra groaned and entered the room.

Aqua was not behaving. The ethereal maiden was pushing and kicking and screaming every time one of the servants or Larxene tried to dress her.

"What's the problem?" Terra asked as he straightened his breastplate.

"She is not cooperating," Larxene huffed as Aqua once again snatched her arm from her.

"They are trying to take my clothes off!" Aqua countered as he looked across the room at Terra.

"Well yeah. They need to dress you," the Dark Knight argued as he resisted the urge to rub his temples. He could feel a headache coming on.

"I already told you! I can dress myself!" the cerulean Keyblade wielder repeated.

"That is beside the point! This is how things work here! I was dressed for tonight but you don't see me running around like an undomesticated beast," Larxene complained as she crossed her arms.

"So stop before I _make _you stop," Terra threatened as he grabbed a chair and slung it around in front of him and forcefully plopped himself down into it, his armor clanking loudly from the force.

"Your not leaving?" the blue-haired girl questioned as she noticed Terra getting comfortable.

"No," the knight said firmly and crossed his shadowy arms "You have lost your privacy right. I told you to behave. You didn't."

Aqua's pupils dilated as she understood what he was suggesting.

"I don't want to," Aqua said softly as she shyly shook her head back and forth.

"I didn't ask if you wanted to," the armored man's voice rose.

"Please, don't make me…" she started to apprehensively beg.

"You mistake me for someone who cares," Terra said darkly as he reclined discreetly.

He knew it was degrading. He knew it was embarrassing. Especially after she had told him in confidence the night before that she had never even shared a bed with a man before. However, there was a lesson to be learned here and Terra was going to make her learn it.

If Aqua was to ever become civilized she would have to learn how to take orders and stop questioning The Dark Rule's authority and way of life.

"Terra, I can probably take care of her _myself._ You don't have to stay in here I am _not_..." Larxene's argument was quickly interrupted.

"Did I stutter?!" the bronze warrior roared. He had finally lost his patience.

Larxene was not defenseless he knew that but he also knew that Aqua could probably take her and all the servants if she set her mind to it. Larxene was a Seer Sage, she was not meant for intense struggles.

"You heard him," Larxene said as the maids waited to see if Aqua would cooperate now that the knight was present.

Aqua stood perfectly still and stone faced as the palace servants began to undress her while she felt Terra's glowing dark blue eyes on her.

"Don't worry. He gets all of us naked eventually," Larxene teased as the three maids tittered into their hands.

Two housekeepers pulled down each side of Aqua's sky blue skirt and her face turned a deep shade of crimson as she stepped out of the skirt.

Meanwhile, Larxene had begun digging inside of one of her many extravagant closets; looking for a dress that would best suit Aqua and her unique features.

When the cerulean maiden felt one of the maids grab her shirt, she bristled and quickly slid her arms inside her shirt and covered her breasts before they could completely expose her to the knight who sat stoically in front of her.

The small white blouse was pulled up over her azure head and Aqua locked both of her arms uncomfortably over her exposed chest. Long indigo tresses fell all around her shoulders and the arms that hid her bare chest.

With an emotionless expression on his face, the knight sat and watched the half-naked girl. She was left in only her small, silk, and white undergarments. Her innocent face was tinted red as she held her arms over her bare chest. His distant, unfocused eyes wandered over the flat plains of her stomach, full hips, and thighs.

Terra was not sure how old she was, he had never asked but she was clearly old enough to have a woman's figure.

Aqua was not as curvy some of the women Terra had seen but she definitely had a feminine shape. Her build was petite but her bust was large enough that she had to use her arms and not just her hands to shield herself from his corrupt eyes. The girl had an hourglass figure but the hourglass was not as pronounced as some. Aqua's body was toned and slender from wielding a Keyblade and producing magic.

Women began pulling at her lengthy wavy azure locks. They brushed and yanked at her hair and Aqua would bite her lip and complain under her breath with each unpleasant tug.

Larxene emerged from the vast closet with a pure, white garment on her arm

"Step into this," the seeress commanded as she held the dress at her feet.

With reluctant bare feet Aqua stepped into the bleached article of clothing. As soon as she placed her feet into the dress it was forcefully hauled up her bare body.

"Ow!" the Child of Light protested as Larxene pulled the dress forcefully over her breasts.

Aqua's face scrunched up as she repositioned her violated chest in the blindingly white dress.

"Take a seat here, Miss," one of the servants politely instructed as she pulled out a stool that sat in front of the blood-red vanity.

While running her dainty fingers through her loosely curled mane the female keyblade wielder approached the dressing table. The fierce blush she had since she was stripped was finally receding as she gazed at her doppelgänger in the mirror before her. She looked much paler than she should and she looked tired. Dark circles formed under her detached but still dazzling blue eyes.

Cobalt orbs glanced into the mirror and noticed Terra sitting impassively behind her. He had repositioned himself since she had approached the dressing table. The knight was now leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees while he rubbed his forehead with one of his gauntleted hands.

_He looks almost as tired as I do. _

The young woman peered back at her twin while the maids continued to tug and play with her hair. They grabbed a sparkling white clip covered in diamonds and Aqua realized they were going to put her hair up.

"I don't like to wear my hair up," she stated as politely as she could.

"The Overlords and Elders will want to see your face," one of them answered as they proceeded to place her hair in a loose bun on the back of her head.

The housemaids adjusted her bangs in front of her face. After they fixed her bangs they began placing glittering jewels into her sapphire hair.

The girl with brilliant cobalt eyes was then spun around and the servants began placing foundation on her face, especially on the darkening circles under her azure orbs.

All of the women agreed that Aqua did not need much makeup. She was a natural, exotic beauty and placing mounds of makeup on her would mar her inherited appeal. Instead they simply placed small amounts of mascara on her lengthy dark lashes and a clear gloss on her naturally pink lips.

Aqua was unexpectedly pulled to her feet and the women began to coat her exposed shoulders, legs, and arms in expensive shimmering lotions. She turned her nose up at the unnatural smell and began coughing as they began spraying her with ornate perfume. The sapphire maiden hated the smell. The thick overbearing fragrance of cherry blossoms now seeped off her skin. Aqua much preferred the smell of lavender and jasmine.

The serene girl could not help but notice how much fun the servants were having dressing her up. Aqua was like an oversized unconventional doll with blue hair.

"Here are your shoes," the girl with jet-black hair offered as she knelt at Aqua's feet and slipped the snowy high heels on the ethereal maiden's feet.

Aqua lifted her foot and inspected the heels, "I didn't even tell you what size I am."

The shoes were bleached white with tiny silver flowers on the toes and diamonds lined the back of the heels. Aqua had never been placed in such extravagant attire before.

"You don't have to. It is their job to know automatically," Larxene pointed out as she approached Aqua.

"Alright I guess she is ready. I did the best I could with what I had to work with," the seeress insulted, as she looked the radiant young woman up and down spitefully.

Terra stood from his seat "So we can go now?"

"Mm hmm we are finished here," Larxene stated and she snapped her fingers as she and the housemaids dispersed "I will see you two later tonight."

The knight approached Aqua and peered down at her. It was the first time Terra had truly seen her. He had gazed at her many times but this was the first time he actually took her in.

She stood timidly in front of him chewing her glossy bottom lip. Her body was adorned in a strapless white dress that was short in the front and longer in the back. The front of the dress fell just above her knees while the back of the fabric cascaded to her muscular calves. Sheer fabric gathered at the garment's waist and rippled out as it covered the regular white cloth underneath.

Every inch of her exposed porcelain skin shimmered from the ointments that had been rubbed onto her flesh. Her skin had an ethereal sheen to it. Lengthy indigo tresses had been clipped back into a loose bun on the back of her head while her bangs and two long spiraling strands framed her gorgeous face.

Terra could not help himself. He could not stop thinking that she actually looked…pretty. The earthen man did not care for the sheen on her skin and the sparkling jewels they had placed throughout hair. No…what Terra actually thought was appealing was the girl underneath all the junk the servants had coated her in to broadcast that she was in fact a Child of Light. For some reason it took them covering her in unnecessary glamour for him to notice her…truly notice her and she wasn't ugly.

The Dark Knight must have glared or looked at her thousands of times, but for some reason it never sunk in that she was actually attractive. It had to have crossed his mind at some point…. How did he not notice earlier?

_Probably all the fighting and the fact that we are mortal enemies. She_ is_ a Child of Light remember? _he reminded himself.

The more he looked at the clutter they had placed on her the more he realized it was to make her stick out like a sore thumb tonight. Terra could not remember the last time he had seen someone in the palace wear white. It was to make a spectacle of her, to humiliate her. Her appearance screamed that she was the girl being rehabilitated and that she was the one to gang up on. At some point they had even removed the bandages he had placed on her injured wrists to publicize Terra's cruelty. Large, white targets had been placed upon all her vital organs.

Terra reached up to touch her. He had to feel her to make sure she was real, Aqua looked too much like an apparition just like she had in his bathroom. His gloved hand captured her fragile chin and angled her face up. The knight in ebony armor wanted her to regard at him.

Aqua's face rose to meet his but her eyes were withdrawn and cold like they always were when she was forced to look directly at him.

Gauntleted fingertips grazed and lightly caressed her chin as he held her head up. He could feel the natural chill of her ivory skin and he was reassured that she was real. Terra had not gone mad…Aqua was just…unique.

"I guess you will do," the Dark Knight stated harshly as he freed her chin.

* * *

Aqua's _protector _had led her to the dinning hall and they stood in front of the exquisite dual doors. Her sensitive ears could hear rowdy laughter and overlapping chatter behind the entryway. Silverware clinked and clattered and heavy footsteps sounded off the walls. Cobalt eyes nervously glanced over at the knight to her side.

Terra exhaled through his nose and opened the one of the enormous doors for the aquamarine maiden. Her feet moved with a mind of their own as they made their way through the morbid doorway.

Instantly, all the blathering and chuckles ceased. Everyone in the room stared at her and began to whisper. Aqua held her head down and laced her fingers in front of her stomach. The female Keyblade wielder could feel every set of menacing eyes on her.

"Come on, Blue," Terra's strong voice sounded behind her and she glanced over her bare shoulder at him.

"The cannibals are starving for your flesh," he continued as he mimicked a gentleman and offered her his armored arm.

The sapphire girl held back her desire to roll her eyes and looped her arm through his. Taking extreme caution and making sure her that neither her hand nor her fingers caressed him in any manner.

As their feet glided over the vermillion carpet of the dining hall the whispers and gossip grew louder. Aqua cringed and squeezed her eyes shut as she subconsciously pulled Terra closer to her by his arm. Her body molded into his side and the knight placed his other warm hand on top of her forearm.

The bronze keyblade master could feel her nerves and he also knew that everyone in this room could smell her fear. She was like a bleeding guppy in a tank full of malnourished sharks.

A massive rectangular table with a white tablecloth was placed in the center of the luxurious dining rom. Expensive silverware and wine glasses were placed at every seat. An elaborate rose bouquet was sat in the middle of the table as a centerpiece. Similar but larger bouquets were placed on small end tables in the corners of the room with coal-black walls.

Xehanort sat in the center of the table on the side that was facing the door. Xemnas sat to his left while Ansem sat to his right. Elders sat on the same side of the table as the Overlords while Dark Knights and the Seer Sages were scattered around the other side of the extraordinarily long table.

"Welcome Aqua, Terra," Xehanort was the first to publically acknowledge them.

"My lord," Terra answered for both of them and inclined his head politely before leading Aqua to the empty chair directly in front of Lord Xehanort.

The navy eyed young man pulled the chair out for Aqua and the cerulean maiden reluctantly took her seat. Once the aquamarine female situated her dress, Terra helped her push her chair closer to the table.

Aqua's fraudulent knight in shining armor took the empty seat to her left and angled his body toward hers as propped the length of his arm over the back of her chair. The Child of Light grimaced. His actions were not done out of affection, he was preparing to discipline her if necessary.

"She doesn't clean up half bad. Having her around might not be as bad as I thought," Vanitas chimed in from further down the table.

Vanitas was not wearing his helmet. In fact all of the Dark Knights were not wearing their helmets, but their bodies were still adorned in their traditional armor.

After setting eyes on Vanitas's face for the first time Aqua was not sure which was worse, Vanitas with his helmet or without. There was no contest when it came to Terra. The young woman preferred Terra without his helmet on, but the more she looked at Vanitas the more she wished he was wearing his sleek helmet.

His ominous gold eyes glared right at her while his short, straight black hair barely hung over his threatening face. Unlike Terra, Vanitas always appeared frightening and dangerous. Aqua had noticed that her bronze knight often turned his sinister side on and off depending on the situation.

"Well let us not be rude. Now that our guest of honor has arrived let us dig in. I am sure Aqua is famished," the bald Overlord announced as he motioned for everyone to begin eating.

Everyone at the table began to get food off the silver platters and bowels except Aqua and Terra. The female keyblade wielder was so hungry that she wasn't hungry anymore and the knight to her left was too busy supervising her and her potential dishonorable actions.

"You have to be hungry child," Xehanort said as he began passing a plate of shrimp down the table "I am sure you have not eaten since you arrived last night."

It was true. Aqua had not eaten in over twenty-four hours but she had no appetite. This place and everyone in this room disgusted her. How could she eat?

"At least eat some fruit," Terra quietly suggested as he nodded his head in the direction of a bowel full of fruit.

The gold and bronze knight may have been onto something. Aqua had no craving for the shrimp, turkey, ham, or any of the other countless forms of meat available, but the fruit did seem appealing.

"Terra you should eat too. I am sure dealing with poppet has been exhausting," Xigbar stated playfully from across the table as he took a big swig of red wine from his elegant glass.

"Probably too exhausting right Terra? She must have been a _real _handful. Those two did not get out of bed until late this afternoon," Marluxia mentioned suggestively and everyone at the table chuckled except Roxas, Aqua, and Terra.

Aqua shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she glanced down the table at Roxas. The young Dark Knight smiled warmly at her and mouthed "I'm sorry."

The young girl could not reply but she simply returned his warm smile before she continued to stare blankly at her empty plate.

"All joking aside Xigbar is right Terra. You need to eat and keep up your strength if you are going to properly watch over her," Xaldin seriously suggested as he savagely took a chunk out of a chicken leg.

"Yes sir," Terra responded but he did not make a move for any of the food. He was sure it was only a matter of time before Aqua tried something.

"Oh Aqua," Larxene called from further down their side of the table and Aqua's head rose before peered down at the seeress "_that_ is Xaldin. The man in charge of the last rehabilitation subject."

The sapphire woman nodded and faintly smiled at the man with long dreads they called Xaldin. Her stomach rolled as she remembered what Larxene had told her Xaldin had done. She could not stop from picturing some innocent girl on her back being stabbed through her hands, feet, head, and heart. The poor thing probably felt every blow until she was finally put out of her misery by receiving a lance through her heart.

After the uncomfortable eye contact with Xaldin, Aqua decided she would listen to Terra's suggestion and have some fruit. Her hand reached for an apple when an unfamiliar voice graced her ears.

"Nice bracelets," Axel teased from Terra's left.

"Thank you. Terra got them for me," she jabbed and glanced at Terra to make sure he heard her. The entire table had heard her. All chatter and gossip had ceased the instant Aqua uttered her first words and they had not been kind ones.

"Well wasn't that nice of him," the feral looking man with red hair chuckled and patted the bronze knight's shoulders.

"If you are lucky, I will get you some ankle bracelets to match," the knight with dark brown hair threatened as he dug his fingers into the blackened wood of her chair. The wood groaned and creaked from the pressure Terra applied to it.

The azure girl got the message and sat perfectly still.

"You are a lot feistier than your sister," Ansem took the next jab.

Aqua's eyes went wide as she heard the sinister man with long hair and dark orange eyes.

"You do not appear to be nearly as cooperative as she was," Ansem continued as he plopped a grape into his mouth.

Cobalt eyes fell to her bleached lap as she simply held her uneaten apple in her petite hands.

"What have you done to Kairi?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes at Ansem.

While Aqua had been distracted by Ansem Terra had taken the opportunity to throw a chicken breast on his empty plate but he was quickly realizing he would likely not get the chance to eat it. Aqua was moments away from snapping.

"Children of Light are always so rude," Xemnas stated as if he was bored.

"You would know a lot about being rude," Aqua challenged as Terra's hand disappeared under the table and was placed on her leg just above her knee. It was a warning.

"Aqua, I am surprised at you. Didn't Eraqus teach you anything about manners?" Lord Xehanort asked darkly.

"He did, but I don't really think I should waste manners on the likes of you anymore," she counted and Terra's gentle touch on her leg turned into a death grip.

The surging pain was so sudden and so intense Aqua jumped off her chair and her legs slammed into the bottom of the hard table.

"I hope that with time you will change your Aqua," Xehanort replied gently but his words sounded a great deal like a threat "perhaps one day you will offer us some of your respect."

The young girl was not going to answer until she felt ebony gauntlets tighten and threaten to create even bigger bruises on her already suffering leg.

"Okay!" she said a bit too loudly to be sincere, but they knew that Terra was forcing her to be obedient. They did not care. As long as they got the result they sought, how they got it did not matter.

"So tell us," Luxord said as he swirled his wine around in his clear glass "what was it like being raised as an uncivilized savage."

"I had a happy childhood after Master Eraqus took me in if that is what you are asking," Aqua answered as she finally took a bite out of her apple.

"What happened to your birth parents?" Marluxia asked from the end of the table.

"My parents were killed in a Purge," the aquamarine woman answered as her eyes went distant and she wiped the apple's excess juice off her bottom lip.

Terra watched Aqua's sapphire eyes glaze over as she thought of her dead parents.

"That does not surprise me," Lexaeus responded emotionlessly "many children are left orphaned at the hands of the Purge. Such is life."

"No, it's _our_ life. Not yours. Your people do not have to worry about things like the Purge," Aqua countered as Terra crushed her leg in his palm and she stifled a distressed yelp.

"_You _wouldn't have to worry about the Purge either if you supported The Dark Rule," Lord Xemnas argued as he pointed a gloomy finger at Aqua.

"Same for your treacherous parents. It is their own fault they are dead. Their demise was no ones fault but their own," Ansem said harshly as he placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his laced fingers "You know as well as they did that going against The Dark Rule is punishable by death and imprisonment. So lets not point fingers shall we?"

"Yes sir," Aqua answered immediately before Terra had the chance to abuse her leg anymore.

"You learn fast poppet," Xigbar gave a devious sneer.

"There may be hope for you yet," he continued before taking another large swig of red wine causing the scarlet fluid to run down the corners of his mouth and dribble down his chin like blood.

* * *

"So how did your first night together _really _go," Axel genuinely asked Terra as they escorted Aqua back to Terra's quarters.

Axel knew the man he regarded as a brother was capable of _a lot _of heinous acts but taking advantage of someone as innocent looking as Aqua was not something he could picture Terra doing.

"I barely slept, but not because of what they were suggesting I did," Terra answered as he gently pulled a deadly quiet and slightly limping Aqua down the hallways by her elbow.

"She tossed, turned, and complained at least every other hour," he continued as he used his free hand to rub his tired royal blue eyes.

"I am right here," Aqua complained from behind the duo.

"I know you are, Blue," Terra teased sarcastically as gazed back at her and flashed her his best taunting boyish smile.

The sapphire woman turned her nose up and looked in the opposite direction.

"No surprise there. She is definitely _spirited,_" Axel chuckled as he too peered back at the exotic girl.

"You have no idea," the brown-haired knight grumbled as they reached his massive door.

Aqua pried Terra's long fingers off of her ivory elbow and tried to make her way into his accommodations but a lengthy slender arm adorned in black armor halted her advance.

Cobalt eyes ran up the arm to the owner's face. It was Axel. Axel was one of the Dark Knights that came to The Land of Departure and helped capture Master Eraqus and Kairi. Aqua recognized his ebony armor trimmed with gold and green and his hood outlined in jade. Axel was the only Dark Knight that wore a silver and charcoal mask instead of a helmet.

_The fiery man must enjoy smiling at his victims._

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" the tall and lean knight announced proudly as he pointed to his temple.

"Sure," Aqua answered blankly as she faked a smile.

"Now that he has introduced himself, can I go in now?" the frosty maiden asked Terra sincerely.

"Just wait a minute. We are almost finished," the bronze knight answered. He did not want her in his room alone.

"Demyx is going to pitch in to help us pick up the slack in your…uh…absence," Axel stated as he nervously scratched the back of his head.

"For the love of Darkness, Axel!" Terra complained as he roughly rubbed his temples.

Aqua repressed a chuckle and held her hand over her mouth. She had met Demyx at dinner and she could hardly believe someone who was that jumpy and that nervous was a Dark Knight.

"I know, I know," the red-haired knight said as he held his hands up defensively "but hey this will be good experience for him. Darkness knows he needs it."

"That is true. He spends way too much time playing in the prisons. Maybe he can gain some field experience and we can _actually _start making use of him in the future," Terra mentioned as he ran one of his hands through his chocolate hair.

"Which also means that Vanitas will be substituting for you when you are not with us," Axel remarked as he placed a fist on his hip.

"Fuck," the earthen warrior hissed as he paced back and forth in the hallway.

"Whose _brilliant _idea was that?" Terra roared as he frantically paced.

"The Court's," Axel stated flatly as his green eyes followed his irritated comrade.

The navy eyed man laughed much too loudly and boisterously for the laugh to be genuine. His laugh was full of bitterness and spite.

"Of course it was!" he laughed viciously and threw his arms in the air.

"Fine. Whatever. If they want the beast to slaughter thousands of our people and to rape and pillage everything within an inch of its life then fine," Terra spat venom as he spoke.

"Axel," the ebony knight continued and placed his hands on Axel's shoulders "Please, keep an eye on him. For me?"

"Of course," the man with jade eyes answered honestly.

"Thank you. Someone has to keep him in line," Terra replied darkly as he let go of Axel's shoulders.

"Ok, I guess we are about to _attempt _to turn in," the brown-haired young man continued as he faced Aqua and the door that led to his bedroom.

"Fun, fun, fun," Axel stated sarcastically before heading down the scarlet hallway.

"I will see you around I guess," Terra mentioned as he put his hand on the golden doorknob of his door.

"You know it," the redhead called as he pulled his hood over his fiery mane.

As soon as Terra opened the door Aqua barged in and an old woman was in the elaborate room placing a silk nightgown on Terra's crimson bed.

Since Aqua seriously doubted the knight wore silk nightgowns to bed she assumed this white gown was for her.

"Where are _my_ clothes?" she questioned the old hag as Terra made his way to his bathroom.

"_Your_ clothes were filthy and are still being washed," the gray-haired woman said from a mouth that Aqua was sure only contained about two teeth.

"I'm not wearing that," she protested as she pointed to the revealing garment.

"Larxene recommended it for you. Plus you do not have many options now do you," the elderly woman stated bluntly as she straightened out the wrinkles on the delicate gown.

Aqua crossed her arms and scowled at the article of clothing.

"Just waltzing in here acting like you are the Queen of the Dark Realm," the old woman mumbled to herself as she began picking up the pile of Terra's dirty clothes and placing them into a basket "instead of the blasphemous and shameless good for nothing that you are!"

The blue Keyblade wielder did not acknowledge the woman or her insults as the old hag continued grumbling incoherently and eventually exited the room.

As soon as the door shut Aqua collapsed to her knees, wrapped her arms around her waist, and began to sob. She had once again reached her breaking point.

Terra heard the bizarre noises and found Aqua sitting on her knees, hunched over on the floor crying.

The knight suddenly realized had forgotten to take her Keyblade the night before and since she was already upset he might as well ask for it now.

"Give me your Keyblade," he demanded blankly.

"What?" Aqua asked between sobs as her head rose.

Tears streaked down her flawless cheeks as she stared at him.

"You are no longer allowed to have your Keyblade. During yesterday's chaos I forgot to take it. Hand it over," Terra commanded coldly as he motioned with his hand for her to hand him the object he asked for.

"Fine! Take it! I don't need it anymore!" she yelled as she summoned Rainfell's charm to her hand and hurled it across the room at Terra.

Her life was over. She would either become a monster in this place or she would die trying to escape. Either way she did not need Rainfell anymore. It wasn't like she could use it here anyway…

The charm hit the floor and slid across the carpet's surface until Terra stopped its advance with the heel of his metal boot. The knight knelt and gently picked up the charm before placing it in his pocket.

Aqua began to weep again as she tightly wrapped her thin arms around her own sides as if she would fall apart the instant she released them.

The earthen knight walked toward her and extended his hand for the young woman.

"Come on," he spoke as gently as he knew how "you should get ready for bed. I know all that junk they put on you can't be comfortable."

Timid and distant sky blue eyes glanced up at him. Sapphire orbs darted back and forth between his face and his extended hand.

Terra realized he was still wearing his gauntlets…and he knew that they did not harbor the best memories for her so he quickly removed them. He offered her his hand again except this time he offered her his hand, not the Dark Knight's.

He took a step closer to her and waited for her to accept. The azure female sighed and used the back of her hand to swat his offering away from her. Aqua stood up on her own and Terra retracted his hand.

A foreign pang emerged in the knight's sternum. It tickled and lightly stung and Terra quickly cleared his throat to relieve himself of the unknown sensation.

Porcelain hands reached behind her head and removed the clip from her hair as she made her way to the bathroom.

"Do I have to sleep in that?" she asked as she inclined her head in the direction of the white slip and began shaking the diamonds out of her ocean like tresses.

"You don't have to but I would imagine it would be more comfortable than the dress you're in," Terra answered from the bedroom as he rested his back against one of the banisters of his canopy bed.

Water began to run as Aqua started vigorously rinsing the makeup and lotion off her face, neck, and shoulders. She threw some water into her mouth and swished it around a few times before spitting it back into the sink.

"I still don't completely understand why I have to stay with _you_," she snapped as she used a damp dishcloth to take some of the shimmering ointment off her arms.

"Would you rather go across the hall and stay with Vanitas?" the tanned young man challenged as he stormed into the bathroom "if you don't want to stay with me anymore I am sure Vanitas would _love _to have you in his bed."

Aqua spun around and stared at him harshly and Terra smirked "I guarantee you he would not be nearly as gentle as I am," he continued as he faintly traced the outside of her arms with his fingertips for emphasis.

He was right and the cerulean girl knew he was right. She did not want to stay with Terra…but things could be a lot worse.

"I get the point," she muttered as she pulled away from him and reentered the bedroom.

The Light Keyblade wielder could hear the clinking and clanging of armor and she knew Terra was removing his Dark Knight garb. Her blue eyes wandered to the white nightgown and she gave it a dirty look.

"Hey!" she called to Terra.

"What?" he snapped and she heard armor clank onto the hard bathroom floor.

"I am going to change. Don't come in until I tell you to," Aqua commanded for a change.

She knew Terra had basically seen her naked today but she still had some dignity left.

_He didn't see _all _of me. _

The dark-haired knight laughed, "Like you could keep me out if I wanted to come in!"

The sapphire maiden assumed that was as close to agreement as she would get and she quickly threw the dress off over her head and swiftly slide the thin bleached garment onto her body.

"Are you decent?" Terra asked from the bathroom doorway.

It amused Aqua how he acted like he would bust in regardless, but he still asked for her permission. She softly grinned to herself.

"I guess," the cobalt Keyblade wielder answered as she looked down at the revealing white slip with lacy trim around her breasts and the bottom of the garment.

_Fuck,_ Terra cursed inwardly as he advanced into the bedroom.

Aqua looked pretty...again. In fact, she looked prettier at that moment than she did before dinner. The baby blue female sat on her side of the bed with her ankles tucked daintily behind her with her hands placed elegantly in her lap. Long azure tresses framed her face perfectly and cascaded below her bust.

Most of the glittery ointment was removed and now all that remained was her natural radiance. She looked beautiful, but more than anything she looked sad. Her dazzling blue eyes were puffy and red while her lip quivered subtly.

Aqua closed her eyes to try to stop the tears that threatened to once again fall down her face. She had been degraded and humiliated all night and she had kept herself together through the entire ordeal, but now she was losing her control.

They insulted her as well as her deceased parents and they even suggested that they had done horrible things to Kairi. Her baby sister was in trouble and Aqua could not help her anymore than she could help herself.

The sound of Terra's bronze, gold, and ebony armor being placed on his mannequin brought her out of her heartbreaking thoughts.

Her guardian was back in his sleep attire except tonight his pants were gray. Weary blue eyes traveled to her throbbing leg. There would be a massive bruise on her leg the size of Terra's hand in the morning. She cringed and tried pulling her slip down lower to try to hide the injury as well as the soreness she felt.

Aqua exhaled sharply and got under the covers and curled into a tight ball. Maybe she would be able to sleep tonight and if she was lucky she might even be able to dream. A dream could be her escape. She couldn't physically leave tonight, but maybe her subconscious could and that might be enough to pacify her. It might be enough to keep her sane and to give her hope…

Terra crawled into bed next to her and began making their blanket barrier as he did the night before.

"You smell weird," Terra, complained as he laid his head on her pillow and wrapped his arms around her silk covered waist.

"It's that perfume they put on me," Aqua countered with a shaky voice "if you don't like it you shouldn't have let them put it on me."

The young man chuckled "Good point. Next time I will tell them to not to put funny smelling perfume on you."

_I liked the way you smelled last night much more …_

Even though she smelled like cherry blossoms and not lavender like the did the night before Terra still buried his face behind her neck and in her soft hair. The closer he got to the skin on her neck the more he could still pick up faint traces of the soft scent of jasmine and lavender.

_Her scent, _he thought to himself as his nose grazed the back of her porcelain neck.

She was crying again. He could feel her shuddering in his embrace and he could hear her muffled sniffles against the pillow but he could do nothing for her. He did not know how. Terra was not _that _kind of knight. He was not a hero.

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! Ok I am going to give a quick review. Terra, Axel, Vanitas, Demyx, Roxas, and Saix are all Dark Knights. Xehanort, Xemnas, and Ansem are the Dark Overlords aka the High Elders. Vexen, Xaldin, Lexaeus, Xigbar, and Luxord are all just Elders. Marluxia, Zexion, and Larxene are the Seer Sages. Finally, the Overlords and the Elders make up the Court but that will be addressed more later. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. **_


	6. Sour Sweetness

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy

**Chapter 6 **

**Sour Sweetness**

_Riku is outnumbered and he is getting tired. _

"_What is the matter half-baked?" Vanitas taunts as he slashes vigorously at his torso "losing steam?" _

_The macabre knight in red and black armor is right. Riku is losing steam. Normally, the Dark Keyblade master could take one of these punks, but not both at the same time. _

"_Not yet!" Riku yells as he shoots a dark fireball at Vanitas's helmet. _

_The scarlet knight uses his Keyblade to fend off the carnivorous flames and hisses as some of the inferno singes his gloved hands and gauntlets. _

_Riku is of the Dark Realm, but he has a hatred for Dark Knights that runs as deep as that of the Children of Light. _

_Dark Knights give Dark Keyblade masters a bad name. _

_Saix leaps unnaturally into the air before hurling a Claymore violently to the ground Riku stands on. The spikes of the Claymore almost catch Riku's feet and he staggers backwards. _

_While Riku struggles for his footing, Vanitas slices open Riku's abdomen as Saix uses the blunt edge of Claymore to knock Riku upside the head and into a nearby pile of barrels. _

_All the air inside Riku's lungs makes a violent retreat as his body slams cruelly on the ground. _

"_Damn it!" he yells as he stumbles over the barrels and attempts to get back on his feet. _

"_Oh Riku, you don't look so good!" Vanitas screeches as he rushes back at him "I think you should lay back down!"_

_He sees the blade of Vanitas's Keyblade closing in on his throat and he quickly ducks and brings his leg around to trip the crimson warrior. _

_Vanitas falls over the appendage and crashes into a nearby wall. _

_Ice blue eyes blink rapidly and his vision starts to muddle. Riku can taste blood and he brings his hand up to his carved stomach. Warmth spreads through his gloved hand and he knows he is losing blood. Lots of it, but he can't give up._

_Aqua. He has to help Aqua. _

_Riku spits out a mouthful of blood before charging at Saix. Their weapons collide and he rapidly retracts his Keyblade again to make another blow toward the Knight's head. Saix quickly brings Claymore over his head to deaden the blast, but the force is quick and unexpected and one of Saix's knees buckle. _

_The Dark Keyblade Master swiftly kicks in Saix's other knee before using the end of his keyblade to bash in his helmet's jaw. A muffled groan emerges from inside the helmet as Saix falls to his back and writhes in pain. _

"_Aqua!" Riku cries for his friend as loud as he can and runs in the direction he saw Terra chase her into. _

_Before Riku can get out of the alleyway a sharp intense pain grew at the back of his skull. The Keyblade master reels backward into a wall and touchs the back of his head before plummeting to his knees and harshly falling onto the ground. _

_Cobblestone fills his perspective before his whole world turns black. _

"_Riku!"_

"_What do we…do…this one."_

"_Wait….don't…him"_

"…_..POP!"_

"_No!...please…."_

"_I….cooperate…..you"_

"_I…go with you…"_

"…_.death sentence later…."_

"…_.he lives…."_

"_Lets….Blue."_

"…_heal….go?"_

* * *

The sound of crackling flames and popping firewood violated Riku's ears.

"Where?" he questioned softly as his pale blue eyes opened.

Riku was not in the alleyway. He was in someone's home, a quant little one room country house with a sizable fireplace and tacky floral wallpaper.

_Aqua. They took Aqua._

"Aqua!" Riku called from his raspy throat and stood on his uncoordinated feet.

He stumbled and staggered before crashing into a nearby end table and falling to the ground, taking the tablecloth and vase that sat upon the table down with him.

"Dear, help! He is up!" a foreign, elderly voice called as hands pulled him up by his shoulders.

"Aqua. I need to find Aqua," Riku mumbled incoherently to the voice.

"Honey, I am afraid I don't know anyone by that name," the feminine voice assured him as she rolled him onto his back.

Riku's light-colored eyes fluttered open and an aging woman with liver spots and kind green eyes greeted him.

"Do you remember who did this to you?" a male voice entered the room and an elderly man knelt down beside the woman as he handed her a damp cloth.

The old woman placed the cloth tenderly on Riku's pulsating head.

"Vanitas…and…Saix," Riku muttered as his head stopped swimming.

"Dark Knights that were here huh? Figures," the man hissed scornfully as he rubbed his receding hairline

"You have been unconscious for two days. We weren't sure if you would ever wake up," the aging lady explained as she continued to rub the cool cloth over Riku's violated head.

_Shit! Two whole days! No! _

Riku brushed the cloth away as he clumsily sat up and wobbled to his feet, "I have been here too long. I have to go. They will…they will kill her…"

His head was absolutely pounding and he could not see or think straight but he could not stop lurching toward the quant cottage's front door.

"Boy, I hate to break it to you but you are not going anywhere with that kind of head injury," the man heeded as he helped his wife to her feet.

The silver-haired young man leaned drunkenly against the nearest wall, "I will…just…just give me a minute."

"If I can make a suggestion," the gray-haired woman said softly as she brushed off her lacy apron "you might stand a better chance of finding whomever it is you're looking for if you have more strength."

"Besides if you are talking about the girl with blue hair she is long gone. The Dark Knights that came to town took off with her days ago. So whatever they were going to do with her they have probably already done it," the balding man stated as he crossed his arms.

"I need…I need to…go to…The Land of Departure…Ventus," Riku continued to ramble to himself as he pressed his head to the wall he was propped up against.

The longer the silver-haired Keyblade master leaned against the wall plastered with graphic, floral wallpaper the more he realized that the elderly couple was making good points. His senses were returning and he realized he _was_ being a bit irrational. Waking up in a strange place without Aqua had sent him into a frenzy. He knew the bastards had taken her, but he had no idea where she could be. If he had been unconscious for two days he would have no way of tracking her, not now. Aqua was just as lost as Kairi was.

"Okay…I may need to stay here a bit longer…until my strength returns," Riku stated as he cleared his dry throat "If that is alright with you?"

"Of course!" the woman cried excitedly as she bobbed into her kitchen to begin making a meal "You stay as long as you need to!"

"As soon as I am able I will get out of your hair," the young man announced as he gracelessly hobbled back to the bed he was in.

"You're no trouble," the old man replied as he poured Riku a glass of water "It's nice having young blood back in this house."

Riku sat back on the bed and held his throbbing head in his hands. He definitely was in no condition to go to The Land of Departure with this concussion. Riku would have to wait a few days before he would be able to travel and it would take even longer to actually arrive in The Land of Departure even with Aqua's chocobo.

Once he was able to get to The Land of Departure he was sure that he and Ventus could come up with a plan to find Aqua. Riku needed his help. He could not do this on his own. The odds were against them but he knew that if he banded with Ventus and maybe his sisters they stood a much better chance.

_Aqua, I am sorry but it may take us a while to find you. But I promise I will do everything I can. Just have faith in us…I am sorry I could not protect you…but maybe I _can _save you…_

* * *

When Aqua woke she did not feel Terra's encasement around her.

_Is he gone?_

Her head bounced up and she felt a somewhat familiar pressure on the bed next to her. She rolled over the face his side of the bed.

The Dark Knight was already awake. Terra was sitting upright in bed with his back against the headboard and his arms crossed tightly over his sturdy, tanned chest. His midnight blue eyes glanced down at her.

"Good morning, blue bird," he greeted her solemnly and gave her a charming half-smile.

The indigo maiden almost grinned back as she laid on her stomach. She did not know about Terra, but she had slept much better last night than she had the night before. For some reason she was not nearly as restless or as combative toward the man she shared the crimson bed with. Aqua had not gotten a_ good_ nights sleep but it could have been worse.

"Good morning," she responded as she shook her untidy hair. She was sure her hair was an utter mess.

_Not that it matters..._

"The old servant hag brought your clothes back," Terra said as he pointed to her neatly folded clothes on his wooden desk.

"Good. I was tired of all the formal garb," Aqua mentioned as she wiped some of the glittery lotion from the day before off her forearm.

"I had them to bring you breakfast too," the knight stated as he got out of bed "your uh _lessons_ start today so you need to eat something."

The male Keyblade master wandered across the room to his dresser, grabbed the tray full of food, and placed it at Aqua's feet.

"I'm not hungry," she objected as she sat up and glanced indifferently at the platter.

"Bullshit," Terra countered firmly as he glared at Aqua.

"Eat," he repeated as he placed the tray on her lap and she quickly shoved the tray off her lap and into the floor.

"Son of a bitch!" the Dark Knight bellowed as he kicked one of the plates violently into the wall next to the bed.

"Fine! Don't eat!" he continued to shout as he placed his hands on both sides of her legs and leaned toward her "I hope you starve to death! Because if you're dead I won't have to deal with you anymore!"

"I'm sorry!" Aqua yelled as she mimicked Terra's actions and leaned toward him "I am just so sick of you_ always_ forcing things on me!"

Aqua was not a rude or spiteful person, but this place and these people had turned her into one...and she despised it.

Terra's features instantly softened. That was the first time she had ever spoken any form of an apology and he was taken back.

He exhaled softly through his mouth.

"Just…get ready for your lesson," the navy-eyed warrior groaned softly before standing up straight and pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Ok," she answered him softly before getting out of the bed and trying to avoid all the broken glass on the floor.

Terra resisted the urge to pick her up and help her across the hazardous floor. It was her fault it was there in the first place and he refused to aid her.

Aqua made her way to the mahogany desk and took her clean clothes off its slick surface.

"Can I go in the bathroom to dress?" the blue haired young woman asked politely as she placed her elegant hand on the bathroom door.

"Sure. Whatever. Just don't break anything else," Terra grumbled as he began pulling pieces of dark armor onto his sun-kissed skin.

The aquamarine girl dressed quickly despite the fact that she was not looking forward to her_ lesson_ at all, but she was eager to get out of Terra's room.

The male Keyblade master was still dressing when Aqua emerged from the bathroom so she took a seat on top of his desk and watched him adorn his body in darkness. The girl could not imagine having to put that much armor on every day. It had to be heavy and it was probably hot.

Aqua preferred light, loose-fitting clothes that allow her to move freely or clothes that were tight enough that they would not inhibit her movements. She did not like being limited by the clothes she wore.

"Should I clean all that up?" the sapphire Keyblade wielder asked as she pointed to the mess she made.

Broken plates and splintered cups lined the floor while spilled juice and bits of food were scattered everywhere, even under Terra's bed.

"Don't worry about it. Someone will come in and clean it up," the earthen knight responded as he straightened his gold and black gauntlets.

The cerulean maiden could not help but notice that Terra spoke like being picked up after was an everyday occurrence that he had grown accustomed to.

"How long have you been here?" she genuinely asked as she picked up one of the key shaped paperweights on Terra's desk.

"Always," the broody knight answered curtly as he situated his shadowy cape on his broad shoulders "I wasn't born here but I was raised here."

"Did…did you know your birth parents?" Aqua asked hesitantly as she put the golden key down and began fidgeting with her fingertips.

"No. This is the only life I have ever known. It is all I remember. I was just a baby when they took me in," Terra explained bluntly as he knelt and adjusted the massive straps on his metal boots.

"Kairi doesn't remember our parents either…she was too young t…" she interrupted herself. Aqua was suddenly unsure of why she was talking to Terra about all this.

When the man clad in black armor heard Aqua mention her sister he glanced over his shoulder at her. It was the first time she had mentioned anything personal directly to him.

Their eyes locked and the perpetual resentment in Aqua's cerulean eyes temporarily diminished.

"Terra," she whispered his name softly.

Her tongue gently caressed every single syllable of his name as they fell from her pink lips. She spoke his name with sincerity and respect. Aqua did not utter his name in the degrading manner that he spat her unwanted nickname. She had treated his name kindly and spoke it with warmth despite the hatred she felt for the man who bore the name.

"Do you know what they have done to my sister? Do you know where she is?" Aqua asked him as kindly as she could even though she knew deep down in her heart that he would never answer her.

Terra walked to his nightstand and picked up his new helmet. The new helmet was identical to the one Aqua broke. The knight bowed his head and slid the helmet over his features.

"Ready?" a muffled distorted version of Terra's voice asked as he completely ignored her question.

"I like you better with it off," Aqua blurted out without thinking as she slid off the desk.

"Sorry. I'm on duty," he shrugged "but hey if you're lucky you might get a chance to break this one too."

* * *

Terra led Aqua through the vast gardens and into the Castle Town. The young woman had expected to just go to another area of Tarnen Palace, but she was pleasantly surprised when they actually exited the gloomy mansion.

"You are meeting with Lexaeus today," the knight announced as the girl walking beside him closed her eyes and stretched her arms toward the gleaming sun.

The Light Keyblade wielder had missed being outdoors. Birds were singing and the wind was even cool despite the harsh rays of sunlight. It was a beautiful summer day outside and Aqua was thoroughly enjoying herself despite having to share the moment with Terra. The fact that the azure maiden had slept much better the night before also made it a lot easier for her to accept his presence. It was amazing how getting a better nights sleep had effected her mood and demeanor.

"Yes, the lovely man who spoke so kindly of my parents last night," Aqua said sarcastically as she watched the townspeople laugh and gossip among themselves "Can't wait to see him again."

"I will not accompany you inside. I am merely handing you off. Once you are inside you are Lexaeus's problem. Understand?" the temperamental man asked as he knocked on the large wooden door of one of the many cottages like establishments that made up the Castle Town.

"I understand," she answered as she ran her pale fingers through her azure bangs.

"Good girl," Terra teased as Lexeaus opened the door.

"Good morning Terra. Aqua," the large man with curly maroon hair greeted emotionlessly.

"I will be back for her later," the Dark Knight responded as he tenderly placed an armored hand on Aqua's back and nudged her into the room.

The room was massive with high ceilings and enormous bookshelves filled to capacity with books, journals, and reports lined every single wall. The room was likely once used for storage but had been turned into some form of library.

The seer, Zexion, sat in the room with his nose buried deep inside a huge inky book. He rested his chin on his knuckles while his long silvery hair covered the entire right side of his face.

The thought of being alone in this room with these two for untold amounts of time made Aqua nervous. She didn't want Terra to leave her...

Aqua couldn't stand Terra…but he was the only constant she had here. She didn't like Terra but she did like him more than the two men he was about to leave her with.

"When will you be back?" she quickly asked her knight as he turned to depart.

Aqua quickly grabbed his cape and pulled him back toward her. The warrior grunted and staggered slightly as he peered back at her from within his helmet

"When you are finished," he replied coldly as he pulled his cape out of her hands.

"But when will that be?" Aqua questioned Terra again as she followed him out of the door.

Just as the aquamarine woman was about to run in front of Terra to stop him from abandoning her, Lexeaus placed a large hand on the female Keyblade wielders shoulder "Do not worry yourself with such pointless details. He said he would return for you later did he not?"

"Don't worry. I'll be back," Terra lightly chuckled as he began walking toward the town square, his cape billowing wildly behind him, "I'll always be back."

* * *

It was twilight before Lexeaus and Zexion stopped drilling The Dark Realm's history into her head.

Aqua was entertained by the fact that these books made it seem as though The Dark Rule was the greatest thing to ever occur and that the Era of Light was a horrible time for everyone.

The azure woman knew better. Master Eraqus had told her of the time of peace before the war. Her master told her how wonderful it was. How the invisible shackles of The Dark Rule did not chain people. Everyone lived together peacefully. Dark and Light Keyblade wielders worked together to protect the things that mattered to them. Their abilities and whether they were touched by Light or kissed by Darkness did not segregate them. Light and Darkness coexisted. One could not exist without the other.

Xehanort and Eraqus had even been friends, but jealousy and rivalries drew them apart. It drew _everyone_ apart to the point of war. The Denizens of Light began accusing the Dark Realm of being too harsh. They felt their powers were hazardous and could easily become corrupt and dangerous. While the Dark Realm felt that they were abused and misjudged. They envied those blessed by the Light. They wished to prove their might, and to show the Denizens of Light that they were just as capable at they were. And they did. They declared war on the Denizens of Light and The Great War was born.

When the war ended and The Dark Realm won, negotiations were made. The former world council known as the Unified Republic was dissolved and replaced by The Dark Rule. Denizen's of Light were given no place or voice in the new world council, such were the terms of their surrender. They were silenced, outcasted, and branded as failures and traitors. Even their neutral land was taken from them and reclaimed for The Dark Realm until almost the entire world was either occupied or owned by The Dark Realm.

After that The Denizens of Light were renamed Children of Light, those that lost the war. That was only the beginning of the oppression the Children of Light would receive. First it was a new name, then the imprisonment of those that fought against The Dark Realm in The Great War, and shortly after that the Purge was created. The Purge was able to imprison and execute any Child of Light, a suspected Child of Light, or someone helping A Child of Light. The Dark Rule does not necessarily need a good reason to Purge someone. If they wanted them Purged, they would be Purged.

And now the Seer Sages were gaining more inhuman abilities that allowed them to see even more potential futures and see even farther in the future. That qA why Kairi was in prison and why Aqua was in Hollow Bastion being rehabilitated, because of what they could do and how they could damage The Dark Rule's plans for the future.

_Whatever that means. I don't see what two girls could possibly do. Then again I am not a Seer Sage,_ Aqua thought to herself.

"Where is that boy?" Lexeaus griped as he looked out of the giant bay window Aqua was sitting on.

Zexion placed a hand on his chin "Knowing Terra he likely ran off to another city, nation, or province with his fellow Dark Knights."

"Did he tell you what his duties were for today?" Zexion addressed the maiden sitting on the windowsill gazing out at the city.

Aqua did her best to quell her impulse to scoff.

_Terra doesn't tell me anything. He just yells at me and tells me what to do. _

The cerulean girl shook her head no, "No he did not mention anything to me."

"Come on in Roxas," Zexion called before a knock even fell upon the door.

"You could at least let me knock for the fun of it," Roxas teased as he entered the library like room.

"It is not necessary. I saw you coming," the gray-haired seer explained as he turned the page in the book he was reading.

Aqua shivered. The Elders and Overlords were foreboding enough but something about the seers' unnatural abilities to predict the future unnerved her.

"Hi Aqua," Roxas called as he clumsily sat at one of the rounded tables in the center of the room.

"Hello Roxas," Aqua greeted him warmly as the kind knight removed his helmet and tossed it on the table.

"Have you seen Terra?" Lexeaus asked as he again peered out of the window for the knight.

"Hmmm, not since this morning. Why?" Roxas inquired as he propped his metal feet up on the book covered table.

"Aqua is finished with her lesson for today. It is time for her to be escorted back to the palace but Terra has not come to receive her yet," the Elder explained as he intersected his arms over his thick chest.

"Roxas must you always be such a savage," Zexion complained as he swatted Roxas's booted feet off the table with his book.

"He is a Dark Knight. Manners are not required for his line of work," Lexeaus grumbled.

"Says the former Dark Knight," Roxas challenged playfully as he placed his feet back on the ground.

"Why are you here?" the male seer asked irritably as he put away one book only pull out another.

"I am playing delivery boy. Xemnas said he asked you for a book. He wanted me to come see you and ask if you had the book for him. So just give me the book and I will be on my way," Roxas explained as he began shining the front of his helmet with his elbow.

"Yes. Give me a moment," Zexion said as he marched to a bookshelf across the room.

"Hey, I can take Aqua back to Tarnen since Terra isn't here to take her," Roxas offered as he smiled over at Aqua.

"She is not your responsibility," the Elder with deep red hair snapped, "She is Terra's."

"I know that," the blonde haired Keyblade master huffed.

"Well in that case, I can take her to go look for him," he continued as he stood up.

"Just let him take her," Zexion stated blankly as he handed Roxas the olive colored book for Xemnas, "He obviously wants to."

"Fine," Lexeaus complied; he was tired of arguing with the young knight.

"Alright then!" Roxas said excitedly as he clapped his hands together, "Ready, Aqua?"

"Yeah," Aqua answered as she rose to her feet and straightened her skirt that wrinkled while she sat in the windowsill.

The dual Keyblade master opened the door for his newly acquired companion as she exited hesitantly.

"W-will Terra get mad?" Aqua asked as she contemplated the potential consequences of leaving with someone who wasn't her assigned caretaker.

"Probably," he replied honestly as he shut the door behind her, "but I will take the heat for you"

Roxas grinned widely at her and gave her a playful wink.

The female Keyblade wielder chuckled fearfully, "Okay, if you say so."

"Your welcome," the blonde boy stated arrogantly.

"For?" Aqua questioned as they made their way to the Central Square.

"For saving you from Zexion and Lexeaus. You looked like you were bored to tears," Roxas said as he situated his helmet under his arm.

"You have no idea," she remarked as her stomach growled loudly. Instinctively, she used her hands to try to muffle the sound.

"You hungry?" he asked her with skeptical blue eyes.

"Starving," she admitted as her face flushed.

"Come on. I will get you something to eat," the friendly warrior responded as he walked toward one of the many stores that doubled as restaurants.

"I thought we were going to look for Terra," the azure maiden pointed out as she stopped walking.

"We can make a few pit stops. He will understand. You have to eat," Roxas explained as he leaned over the counter and began ordering food for them.

Aqua was not so sure that Terra would understand. Their most recent argument had been about food and her refusing to eat. Roxas had not seen Terra blow up that morning.

After the duo had eaten in a small restaurant, Roxas had gone to get ice cream for them while Aqua sat under one of the many trees that lined the lovely center square. Her legs dangled over the ledge while a small waterfall streamed from the wall of the ledge underneath her feet. She stared dreamily at the beautiful shades of yellow pink and red that ran through the flowerbed in front of her.

The aquamarine keyblade wielder listened to the serene rhythm of the water flowing from the wall beneath her and for a moment she actually forgot she was in the Dark Capital.

Children laughed and played in the flowerbeds in the square and threw water from the fountains at each other. It reminded her of how she and her foster siblings would play in The Land of Departure. Aqua smiled.

She had been given freedom and she had gotten out of that dreadful palace. Aqua was feeling better than she had in days. Cobalt orbs closed and she inhaled deeply and took in the magnificent smell of orchids, tulips, and many other varieties of blossoms she did not recognize. The sound of water…the sound of her now foreign element in liquid form calmed her fried and butchered nerves.

"I think you have earned the icing on the cake," Roxas announced as he handed her a baby blue bar of ice cream.

"Ice cream?" she questioned lightheartedly. Aqua was feeling more like herself and she was actually being somewhat playful.

"Sea salt ice cream! Its good! Try it!" he recommended as he nudged her elbow and took a seat beside her.

The blue-haired young woman giggled before taking a bite out of the ice cream bar. It was salty at first but it eventually turned sweet.

"Why can't you be my _guardian_," Aqua stated dejectedly as she licked off some of the excess fluid from the melting delicacy off her knuckle.

The sun was setting but the ice cream was still struggling to stay frozen in the midsummer climate. If Aqua's magic was not stifled she could easily keep the frozen treat from melting.

"I am way too laid back," Roxas admitted before taking a bite out of his ice cream "if it was left up to me you would be running around everywhere on your own."

"You are too nice I guess," the cerulean girl responded as she looked down at the decorative flowerbed in front of them.

"Terra can be nice too. He just needs time to warm up to people," the dual Keyblade master defended his old friend. He could see the resentment burning behind her bright blue eyes.

"That is easy for you to say. You don't know him the way that I do," she sharply countered.

"And you don't know him the way that I do," Roxas argued gently as Aqua's sea salt ice cream bar began to melt down her fingers.

Roxas had a point, but it also did not change her personal opinion of the bronze knight.

"Think of Terra as Sea Salt Ice Cream," the caring knight mentioned as he pointed to her melting treat, "he can be pretty bitter and salty but he can also be sweet if you give him the chance."

Roxas's analogy was childish and clichéd, but she got the idea. Aqua didn't necessarily want to give him a chance, but it couldn't hurt. She knew that she liked Terra a lot better when he treated her kindly, maybe he could appreciate her kindness as well. It was just so hard for her to think of him as a person that actually harbored feelings.

Suddenly the tranquility of their evening was disrupted when a colossal metal boot crashed into Roxas's back and shoved him face first into the flowerbed in front of them.

"Whoa!" the armored young man cried as he plummeted to the ground. His thick armor permanently marring the lovely flowerbed with thick brown streaks where the blossoms had been unearthed.

Aqua gasped and held her free hand up to her mouth.

"What the fuck, Roxas?" a powerful masculine voice sounded from behind her.

Aqua and Roxas had not found Terra. He had found them.

The aquamarine Keyblade wielder hated how easy it was for her to recognize his brawny voice even with his helmet on.

Roxas spat flower petals and stems out of his mouth, "You were late…and she…was hungry…and bored," the younger knight muttered in between spits.

"So!" Terra challenged angrily, "She was supposed to wait _there_!"

"Zexion and Lexeaus said it was fine if I took her," Roxas argued as got back to his feet, mangling more colorful flowers as he positioned himself upright.

"I don't give a fuck!" Terra roared, "I thought she had run off!"

"I didn't," Aqua finally addressed the irate knight, "I did exactly what I was supposed to. You were the one that was late."

"Look," the bronze warrior said calmly, his tone instantly changing the moment Aqua spoke to him, "I didn't see anyone in the room. I thought the worst. Next time please just stay put."

Terra exhaled harshly through his mouth before taking Roxas's place next to Aqua.

"So how did her first day go?" the older Dark Knight questioned, "Did Lexeaus and Zexion complain any?"

"Nope," Roxas replied as he crossed his arms, "They actually seemed pretty content with her in there."

_Apparently Aqua behaves for everyone when I'm not around…_Terra huffed inwardly, _She even ate for sweet little Roxas._

"Is that true?" Terra inquired as he glanced at Aqua.

"I was good. I promise," the cobalt female replied gently while refusing to make eye contact with Terra.

"Where were you?" she questioned the tanned warrior beside her as she licked the dripping fluid of the edges of her desert.

"Don't worry about it," the knight snapped as he reclined slightly on the ledge.

"Finish up your ice cream then we will head back," Terra stated as he glanced at the ice cream in her hand "And since I ruined yours Roxas I guess I will go buy you another one."

* * *

"What is my name…again?" Kairi asked her master.

_It starts with…a K right? Or maybe a C…Cari? Kori? I…I can't remember…_

"Your name is Kairi," the bald man with orange eyes reassured her.

"And…this is…a prison?" Kairi asked him again.

"Indeed," he replied as he placed his hands behind his back and the leather of his apparel creaked.

"Why…why am I in a prison? Aren't…aren't prisons…bad?" the red-head girl questioned as she squeezed her pounding head with both hands.

"Yes, but this prison is your sanctuary. We brought you here to protect you from those that wish you harm," Lord Xehanort explained deceitfully.

"Harm…" Kairi repeatedly somberly, her once sparkling blue eyes were indifferent, distant, and empty.

"Yes there are bad, _evil_ people looking for you. They wish to take you away from me," Xehanort exaggerated sadly as he placed a withering hand over his heart.

"We had to bring you here so they would never find you. They have already hurt you so. That is why we have to give you shots and medicine everyday. My poor Kairi they have made you so sick," the menacing old man lied as he rubbed his eyes in mock sorrow.

"I'm sick?" the young girl disputed as she scratched at the massive, gruesome and bulbous lacerations that covered the entire underside of her forearm.

The abrasions hurt and itched and slithered through the tender veins in her arm. It appeared as though someone had been driving hot pokers up her arm.

"They gave you a horrible almost incurable disease but we are doing all that we can do help you. I did all I could to hide you from the wicked, white witch and her underlings but I am afraid this prison is the only place where you are safe from her and her heinous sorcery," Lord Xehanort misinformed again as he knelt down and ran his fingers through her vibrant hair.

"Family?" the bewildered girl asked as she touched his arm.

She had a vague memory of the word. She could not exactly remember what it meant but she knew it was important.

"Yes. You have a large family. You have many brothers and uncles," the Overlord said proudly as he cupped her face.

"Saix is one of your many brothers," Xehanort continued as he pointed to Saix who stood in a dark corner of the prison cell.

"Sis…sister?" Kairi inquired as she rubbed her hands together.

_Blue, lots of blue. _

Kairi closed her eyes tightly and chased the fleeting memory. She wrestled with the back of her mind and scrambled to put all the quickly vanishing pieces together, but she never could make sense of them. They were fading too fast. Most of the chunks of the puzzle were gone and the ones that were left dissolved and slid through her fingers like sand. The remaining puzzle bits did not make sense without the others and Kairi could not make a full picture.

"Yes you have a sister too. Her name is Larxene," the manipulative man replied.

"Blue…she has…blue hair?" the unresponsive girl guessed as she touched her own cherry colored tresses.

The young female Keyblade wielder could see what appeared to be indigo colored hair but she couldn't see her face. The blue woman was blurred and muddled and like everything else that inhabited her mind, she too eventually evaporated.

"No, no, no," Xehanort shook his hand impassively "your sister has short blonde hair."

"That White Witch is the only menace I know of with blue locks," the disturbing High Elder spat.

Kairi nodded emotionlessly as she tried to cover the irritated vertical serpent like scars that wriggled up her arm with the arms of her black garment.

Xehanort rose to his feet and approached Saix.

"I want you to go back home and I want you to get Vexen to mix up more magic suppressant for Kairi. And I do not mean the weak shit he gave Aqua. I want Kairi's magic permanently extinguished," Lord Xehanort commanded as he glanced over his shoulder back at Kairi.

"Yes my Lord," Saix responded with a partial bow.

"And make sure he sends some the longest needles he has back with you. I want to be thorough."

**_A/N: Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing! I appreciate all the feedback and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_**

**_KMOUXE: _****_I cannot directly answer your question because I do not want to spoil anything, but I can tell you that it is a definitely a possibility so just be patient with me. Thanks for the review I really appreciate the input :)_**


	7. Waking Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

**Chapter 7**

**Waking Dream**

"Take that thing off," Aqua commanded the instant she and Terra entered his luxurious room.

"You could at least say please," The Dark Knight complained. He crossed his arms and waited for her to ask again.

"If I say please will you take it off?" she questioned while she placed her arms behind her back and strolled around the lavish crimson room.

"Maybe," he shrugged mischievously and his armor rattled, "Try it and find out."

"Terra," Aqua twirled gracefully on her heels, "Will you please remove your helmet?"

"Yes, my lady," the knight answered spitefully before he removed the faceless headgear.

Terra shook his head back and forth and ran his hands through his unkempt dark hair.

"Did you have fun frolicking with Roxas today?" the bronze knight spat spitefully as he tossed the helmet carelessly on his bed.

"I did actually," Aqua confessed as she entered the tremendous bathroom.

The dark Keyblade master rolled his eyes and silently followed her into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Casually, he leaned in the tall doorway and watched her with sharp eyes.

"I am going to take a shower," she answered and she pulled the scarlet shower curtain back.

A low growl erupted from Terra's throat as he grabbed her arm and yanked her back toward him. Aqua plummeted into his plated chest and she quickly used her free arm to push herself away from him. The knight's grip on her arm did not waver. He continued to hold her to him be her arm.

The sour warrior had lost his cool. Hanging around Roxas all day have given Aqua _ideas _and Terra was not going to tolerate the leniency anymore. The fiery young woman needed to be reeled back in.

Terra held her arm in front of him and stared harshly down at her. She squirmed and rested her free forearm on his chest.

"Did I say you could take a shower?" he asked in a low threatening voice while he pinched her forearm with his sturdy hand.

"I didn't ask," the azure girl countered as she looked up at him. She refused to gaze directly at him so she focused on a random spot on his neck instead.

Cobalt colored orbs stared blankly at his throbbing pulse. Silently, she watched the major artery pump blood throughout his large body.

He was too close to her and it was making her uncomfortable. She could feel the warmth of his coarse hand and she could feel his chest rising and falling with each powerful breath he took against her arm. Aqua could almost feel his thundering heartbeat banging against the protective covering that separated them.

"Just because Roxas let you carelessly run around today doesn't mean that I will," Terra snarled as he leaned down toward her face.

The brunette was trying to get her attention. It was getting harder and harder for him to tolerate the vacant appearance of her eyes whenever he spoke to her.

"Let me go," she whimpered softly as she pulled away from him and applied more pressure to his broad chest with the arm he did not possess.

"So don't go getting any ideas," the irritated warrior warned as he threw her arm back at her "there is a reason Roxas was not assigned to you."

"It wouldn't kill you to be more like Roxas!" Aqua challenged as she chased Terra back into his bedroom.

"Don't ask me to be Roxas!" the navy-eyed male roared as he whirled around to face the woman on his heels.

"I am not asking you to be Roxas, Terra! I am asking you to be nice!" the young woman pleaded with shining blue eyes.

Terra's eyes widened. He was not expecting that kind of reaction. She had surprised him. Again.

_Nice?_ he mocked in his head.

"Do you believe in fairy tales? Knights in shining armor? White knights? Shit like that?" the Dark Knight inquired as he placed one hand on his hip and let the other dangle lifelessly at his side.

Aqua did not answer him instead she chose to stare holes into the floor. She did not want to tell him the truth. He already knew that she believed in that kind of thing despite all she had been through. The azure Keyblade wielder wanted to believe that there _were_ fairy tales; she wanted to believe that somewhere there were knights in shining armor that could save everyone from the evil dragons.

"You think just because I am a knight I am supposed to be _nice_?" he continued as he began walking toward her.

"I'm supposed to ride a big white horse, right? Saving damsels in distress. I am supposed to be kind and gentle," the sapphire girl closed her eyes as he spoke.

"I am supposed to save the world! Well guess what?" Terra asked vacantly as he gazed down at her with cold, deep blue eyes.

"I don't do that," the menacing young man said as he slowly shook his head back and forth.

Aqua licked her chapped lips as her eyes darted back and forth between Terra's smoldering eyes and a wrinkle she had found in the scarlet carpeting while he was talking.

"If you expect me to be like that then you have seriously misjudged me," he continued scolding her as they stood inches apart.

The young woman said nothing she only stared blankly at the faux metal abs of Terra's armor.

"You can take your shower now," the dark-haired man said as he stormed into the bathroom.

After releasing a dejected sigh the captive girl followed her owner into the bathroom.

The duo went through Aqua's normal shower procedure that involved the cobalt eyed young woman hiding behind the shower curtain, while the knight leaned against the sink and waited to silently hand her towels.

They did not speak after Terra's knight in shining armor lecture. What was there left to say? Aqua did not want to speak to him anymore than he wanted to speak to her.

The serene young lady did not wrestle with her guardian much that night. At first she thought it was because of their argument but the more she contemplated the situation the more she realized she was conforming to a routine. As much as she hated to admit it she was getting use to having his secure arms around her. She was growing accustomed to his dense breath on her neck, the natural heat his muscular body exuded, and his toasty face against her hair.

A habit was forming even though they were not speaking to one another. The knight was fuming and the watery maiden was discontented, but a ritual was being established despite Aqua's objections and Terra's boiling temper.

* * *

The aquamarine Keyblade wielder turned at the front gates to head towards the town where she would meet Lexeaus and possibly Zexion for her daily history lesson.

"Where do you think your going?" Terra asked impatiently as he stood at the bottom of the rusty, orange steps that led to Tarnen Palace.

"To go see Lexeaus?" Aqua asked with sweeping amounts of uncertainty.

"No, your week with Lexeaus is up," the earthen Keyblade master stated bluntly.

_Has it been a week already?_ Aqua asked herself as she placed a hand on her hip.

The young azure maiden swore that time passed by differently in the Dark Capital. It seemed to pass quickly and slowly at the exact same time.

"Then…where are we going today?" the blue haired woman asked as one of her cobalt brows rose to her forehead.

For the past week Terra and his charge had merely coexisted. Their communication was left to a minimum to prevent conflict, so he had forgotten to inform her that she would only be spending a week with Lexeaus and would be receiving lessons from the Seer Sages next.

"You are going to the Palace of Retribution," the Dark Knight announced as he turned to go in the opposite direction of the gateway that led to the quant town in the center of Hollow Bastion.

"Wait!" Aqua called as she chased after him, "you mean the place where trials are held?"

"Yep," Terra answered as he placed his hand on her back to lead her forward.

Her skin was getting colder as time passed. Terra had begun noticing at night that her natural chill was returning. Each night he crawled in bed with her she would be a bit colder. Aqua's powers were returning, and they were returning faster than anticipated. The shot of magic suppressant Vexen had administered was given to her a little over a week ago. Vexen had told Terra that it would last a month, but as he felt Aqua's cool skin through his glove he seriously doubted it would last an entire month.

_We may have to increase her dosage next time. I just pray to Darkness that she doesn't notice that her magic is coming back, _Terra thought inwardly.

"Why are we going there?" the icy girl asked, bringing her guardian out of his thoughts.

"For the next week you will be receiving lessons from the seers," the bronze warrior replied as his fingers continued to subconsciously stroke the small of her back.

Aqua tried her best to repress the shudder that consumed her body when she felt the dark man's fingertips rub the exposed skin of the small of her back. The warm tips of his fingers dwelled on her flesh and drew tiny circles onto the porcelain canvas that was made out of her skin as he spoke. The caress only lasted a second but Aqua could still feel the knight's warm tongue like fingers licking her skin long after his hand had retreated.

After his palm was removed the girl with indigo hair could finally process what he had said. Terra had told her she was to be tutored by the Seer Sages next. She was just getting use to Lexeaus, but now she would have to deal with a completely different kind of teacher. Aqua did not want to go to the Palace of Retribution and she definitely did not want to learn _anything_ from the Seer Sages. Nothing they could teach her would be good. Any lesson from Larxene, Zexion, or Marluxia would be unpleasant to say the least.

Suddenly, the female Keyblade wielder felt just like she did when Terra was about to leave her with Lexeaus for the first time: apprehensive, nervous, and afraid. And once again she found herself wanting Terra to stay with her.

"Are you…are you going away again?" she asked fearfully as she followed her caretaker down even more dark orange stairwells with triangular yellow designs on them.

The azure maiden was afraid of his answer. Terra had a lot of responsibility, she knew that, but for some reason she found herself wanting to use him as a prickly, uncomfortable security blanket.

"Yeah, I have to leave the city for a bit," the male Keyblade master replied.

Terra was actually going to conduct a Purge, but he didn't want Aqua to know that. For some unknown reason he did not feel like having that argument today, he would take his lashing from her for it later.

The cerulean female was afraid he would say something like that. Terra always left town during her lessons. She didn't know why she was hoping that this time would be different.

By the time they reached the gates of the Palace of Retribution Aqua was almost ready to turn around and hide under Terra's bed. She had a bad feeling about this.

The Palace of Retribution had an appearance similar to that of Tarnen Palace on the outside. The establishment was many stories high and was covered in chrome pipes that spat the same bizarre substance into the atmosphere and sharp towers that threatened to stab the sky.

After climbing three sets of large stone steps that marked the morbid court's entryway, Terra did not bother with knocking he simply pulled open one of the monumental mahogany dual doors with gigantic gold trim.

"Terra and the girl are here," Aqua heard Zexion call from the inside, his voice bouncing off the hard floors and high ceilings.

"I hate when he does that," she whispered as they entered the stony mansion like palace.

"Just imagine growing up with them," Terra whispered into her ear.

The young woman wrinkled her nose at the thought. She couldn't imagine growing up with Seer Sages as foster siblings.

The fierce knight chuckled softly at her reaction before Marluxia emerged into the tremendous foyer.

The inside of the building was almost identical to Tarnen. The walls were made of black pipes and metal while the floors were drenched in blood. Tapestries of The Dark Realm insignia, crests, and emblems paid tribute to the unholy kingdom throughout the palace.

"Welcome to The Palace of Retribution, Aqua. We shall begin once you are ready," the seer with salmon colored hair greeted her elegantly.

Aqua glanced up at Terra, "Will you be gone long?"

"It is hard to say, but I will be back before dark," he answered as he peered down at her.

"Summon me if you need me," Terra told Marluxia curtly as he reopened the colossal door.

"We will," Marluxia, replied as he extended a hand for Aqua and she quickly declined and crossed her arms.

Terra smiled vibrantly within his helmet.

_At least I am not he only one she snubs. _

"Behave," the knight warned before he exited the massive foyer and left Aqua alone with the Seer Sages.

* * *

"The only thing I hate more than a traitor is a liar," Terra said menacingly as he circled the man he and Axel were interrogating.

The man was suspected of harboring Children of Light that were avoiding execution. Terra had been sent there to obtain the fugitives and take them back to Hollow Bastion for sentencing, but the fugitives had _mysteriously_ vanished.

"We know you were friends with them," Axel implied as he stood before the kneeling man with his hands lazily on his hips "your sentence will be more lenient if you just admit it."

"I assure you I know nothing about their whereabouts! I have not seen them since yesterday!" the man with sandy blonde hair pleaded with shaky eyes.

"Look," Terra was starting to lose his patience.

The bronze knight opened his mouth to speak again but was quickly broken off by an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Terra!" Demyx called as he stumbled over his feet repeatedly on his journey toward the Dark Knight and his prey.

"Damn it," Terra hissed under his breath as he turned to face the aggravation that approached him.

"What is it Demyx? I am kind of busy," the irritated warrior complained as he crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Its Aqua. Larxene sent me to come get you," Demyx announced nervously as he lurched over put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Fuck," The bronze knight roared as he immediately summoned his keyblade glider.

He did not wait for any further explanation from Demyx, he had heard all he needed to hear.

"You two finish up here!" he called before the glider rapidly launched into the orange, afternoon sky.

* * *

"Look it is easy," Larxene repeated as she knelt down in front of Aqua "all we are asking you to do is try to take a teeny tiny peak into the future."

"I won't," Aqua politely countered as she placed both of her hands over her heart.

"We just want you to take it to the next level," Marluxia explained as he too approached the girl he had been tutoring.

The cerulean Keyblade wielder's magic lesson had quickly turned into something much more sinister. They had gone from explaining the mechanics of peering into the future to trying to get Aqua to do so herself.

"You can take your powers even further if you tried," Larxene said as lust for power coated the words that rippled from her mouth.

"I don't want those kinds of powers," the blue maiden whispered as she stared at the unusual stone flooring inside the study.

"What is wrong? What happened?" Terra yelled as he busted through the study doors and witnessed a crumpled Aqua sitting on her knees in the floor.

He quickly removed his helmet as he knelt on one knee beside her and placed his hands on her bare shoulders, "What's wrong?" he repeated the question but this time he was only asking Aqua.

"She refuses to practice projecting into the future," Larxene huffed as she rose to her feet and rolled her eyes at Terra's sudden concern for the white whore.

"Is she a seer?" the knight asked in bewilderment as he removed his hands from the water like maiden's shoulders.

"That is what we are trying to determine," Marluxia clarified, "she holds vast amounts of magic potential and we assumed she could likely project if she tried."

"I don't want to," Aqua confessed as she looked over her shoulder at Terra who placed his elbow on his knee as he listened to her.

"Terra, I will learn the technique and the mechanics behind it all day long," she began as she sincerely gazed at him with beseeching eyes "but I refuse to look into the future. I will learn any other magic technique they want, just don't make me violate fate like that…"

For once, Terra and Aqua were on the same page. He had forced her into a lot, but he was not sure he could push her to do this. The Dark Knight could not stand the seers and their unnatural abilities. Peering into the future…changed them. Terra did not want Aqua to become a seeress, especially since she did not want to.

"You don't have to," the earthen Keyblade master said softly as everyone's eyes went wide, especially Aqua's.

"What do you mean she doesn't have to?" Larxene screeched and threw her hands on her hips.

"I mean she does not have to. I am not going to require her to learn…whatever it is that you are trying to force her to do," Terra explained further as he clasped the back of Aqua's arms and lifted her to her graceful feet.

"She said she would learn any other technique you want, she just doesn't want to alter fate or the future," he continued as he put his pronged helmet back on.

"I think she has had enough for one day. We will see you all tomorrow," the ebony knight stated firmly as he turned to leave.

"The Overlords and Elders will hear about this Terra," Zexion threatened as he stood next to Larxene.

"Go ahead. Tell them. I doubt they were the ones that were wanting her to be a seer anyway," Terra countered as he opened the study door for Aqua "to me that seems a lot more like something the Seer Sages would want. You guys _are_ a bit outnumbered."

"Just. Go," Marluxia complained as he rubbed his eyes in frustration.

"With pleasure," the male with dark blue eyes snapped as he slammed the door on the irritated seers.

Aqua stood awestruck beside Terra as she listened to the fierce rumbling of the door and the intense echoes that bounced off the walls after the knight's actions.

"Thank you," she whispered timidly as she twiddled her porcelain fingers.

"Don't mention it," the guardian answered gruffly as he glared daggers at the abused door.

"I mean it Terra...tha,"

"Seriously," Terra interrupted and held his metal hand up to stifle her, "don't mention it."

For some reason her sincerity put him more on edge than her spite. Terra knew anger, he understood it but honesty and openness were concepts that were harder for him to absorb. Especially coming from her.

"Let's head back," he stated uncomfortably as he rubbed the back of his helmet as if it was the back of his head, "I'm tired."

* * *

"_Terra you hopeless sleepy head, wake up!" a delicate voice addresses him and he feels cool fingers toss his mangled hair. _

"_Five more minutes," the drowsy man complains before he rolls onto his chiseled stomach._

"_No Terra, you have already overslept," the gentle, feminine voice continues. Terra can feel someone straddling his back. _

_Cool hands massage his shoulders and the back of his neck. _

_"Please? For me?" she begs. _

_She leans down and nuzzled his ear with her nose. A cobalt curtain made of her long, slightly wavy hair envelops him and he is surrounded by the alluring smell of lavender._

"_Alright, alright I'm up," he grumbles into his pillow and he shifts onto his back but he makes sure to keep the young woman on top of him. _

_Once the knight is on his back he holds the blue-haired girl by her hips and smiles warmly up at her. She looks good on top of him. _

_She blushes lightly and pats his exposed chest "We need to get up."_

_Aqua stands and pulls her dark blue dress' short skirt back down. The cerulean lady is in a sleeveless high-collared halter dress that tightly hugs her womanly curves. Black leggings coat the flawless porcelain skin of her legs and silver heels adorn her dainty feet. She wears sheer, white, and lacy bell sleeves on her arms while a small bizarre silver necklace the shape of a heart dangles over her chest. _

_She is a vision as always. _

"_Why can't we just stay I bed?" Terra complains and he grabs her soft wrist. _

_**Scars. Her scars are gone. The ones you gave her in Amur. She…she doesn't have them. Her wrists are flawless and unmarked by grisly, enduring bracelets. **_

"_Hmm I am afraid not. You need to conduct your Purge as quickly as possible and return here," she replies as she runs her velvety fingertips along his knuckles, "we have the banquet tonight remember?"_

"_How can I forget you know how much I love banquets," the warrior continues to protest as he caresses the fragile wrist in his hand. _

"_I know you hate when the Overlords throw a banquet but they mean well. They just want to get our minds off our serious line of work for a while. It is one of the few chances we get to actually be…young," Aqua says while she stares at him with tender understanding eyes "with you being a Dark Knight and with me being a seeress we don't get many opportunities to do the normal things that other people our age do."_

"_So…are you still going to take me?" she pleads timidly before Terra sits up in bed and plants his feet on the floor. _

"_Hmm I don't know Aqua," the brawny keyblade master teases as he holds her by her toned waist, "What is in it for me?" _

_The azure female places her refreshing hands on his broad sun-kissed shoulders, "Well, I got a new dress."_

"_What color?" he asks. His mischievous hands start to wander over her full hips. _

"_White," the aquamarine maiden blushes again and runs her thumbs over the sides of Terra's thick neck. _

"_Am I allowed to remove this white garment afterwards?" Terra winks and tugs her toward him._

_Aqua giggles playfully "The only way you are going to find out is if you take me."_

"_Hmm, in that case I suppose I will escort you," the knight pretends to reluctantly comply. _

"_Thank you," Aqua whispers as she leans forward and places a tender kiss on Terra's forehead._

**_This is not Blue...she is kind, open, and gentle...like...like the real Blue would be...if The Dark Rule and the overbearing oppression of her people had not done things to her..._**

"_I put your suit out on your desk. I will be ready at seven," the indigo girl informs as she releases her knight's face and exited the room. _

_Suddenly the scene blurs and shifts and Aqua is latching onto Terra's arm. They are in the ballroom and her head is resting against his well muscled arm. _

"_Are you thirsty?" the off duty Dark Knight questions as he gently rubs the top of Aqua's hand that is firmly holding the ebony fabric of his jacket. _

_Terra's formal wear is not very formal. He is in a simple black suit with a white undershirt that is not fully buttoned. The top half of his chest is shown and he is resisting his desire to roll his sleeves up. _

_The elegant young lady does not answer she simply shakes her head no and closes her eyes and pulls Terra closer to her by his arm. With caring midnight blue eyes the man gazes down at his blue haired seeress. _

_She is absolutely gorgeous. Her dress is white just as she said it would be. The article of clothing is a high collared halter that ties behind her sophisticated neck much like the dress she wore earlier in the day except this dress is much thinner. It is made of a silky fabric that hangs loosely around her belly but tightens at her bust, hips, and thighs. The garment is backless and reveals most of her ivory back and some of her milky sides. _

_A thin diamond studded silver chain is wrapped around her hips and slants to one side while the heart like necklace still hangs from her neck. Even though Aqua is wearing bleached high heels with blue sapphires embedded into their heel, she still does not reach Terra's shoulders. _

"_Dance with me?" she asks as she pulls at his hand. _

"_Aqua, you know I don't dance," Terra grumbles as he gently resists her persistent tugging. The warrior can dance he just chooses not to. _

"_Please Terra," the sapphire seeress begs as she tries to drag him to the dance floor, "just one? A slow one?" _

_The dark-haired man's heart sinks as Aqua looks directly into his shady blue eyes as she longs for him to dance with her. He cannot deny her anything…not when she peers up at him like that. _

_**The hatred is gone…the resentment…it is gone and replaced by…something else…affection maybe? **_

_Terra sighs heavily and offers the maiden his hand. Aqua smiles brilliantly and accepts his offer. Their fingers lace and it is as if they were made for each other. His hand was meant to lock with hers and hers was meant to meld into his. Warmth spreads through the knight's chest as he feels her squeeze his hand admiringly and he leads her through the crowd of people already dancing. Terra does not know who they are…he assumes they are his foster siblings…Larxene and Saix the whole lot…but he cannot pay attention to anyone else. All that matters to him is Aqua, she is all he wants and she is all he needs. He is sure of it. _

_The male Keyblade master stands in a waltz position and waits for Aqua to accept his hand and place her other hand on his shoulder, but she simply wraps her arms around his waist and buries her face in his chest. _

_**She…she is touching you…Blue never willingly touches you…she avoids you like plague. She goes through great lengths to ensure that her pure hands and righteous arms never caress or wrap around your tainted form. **_

_The shocked knight gasps from her sudden and unexpected action before he quickly envelops her in his protective arms. He drapes his limbs over her shoulders and runs his hands all over her nude back as the young woman sighs contentedly and nestles her face into his toned chest. _

_**She feels better without the gauntlets on…**_

_The dance is more like a prolonged hug, but Terra does not mind. He holds her elegant body to his and runs his fingers through her soft hair. The Dark Knight gently caresses the back of her neck and shoulders before he returns her to the safety of his arms. _

_All at once the scene shifts again and Aqua and Terra are running down the crimson hallways back to the knight's room. _

_The brown-haired warrior chases her down the long corridors and Aqua cannot stop giggling uncontrollably each time she turns a sharp corner, causing Terra to curse and stumble. The dark keyblade master has never seen anyone with as much grace as Aqua, she can practically fly. Her feet are weightless and her movements are fluid, she flows like the water she is named after. _

_**Damn I am thirsty…**_

_When they reach his door Aqua slows down and Terra takes the opportunity to pin her to the wall. He looms over her and presses his body to hers as they both chuckle and fight for their fleeting breath. The dark warrior lifts his hands and cups her heart-shaped face. The young maiden openly regards him. She smiles as her chest heaves causing her breasts to repeatedly graze against his torso. Terra absent-mindedly runs his thumbs under her dazzling sky blue eyes as she lifts her hand and holds one of his hands to her face. _

_Terra removes his hands from her face and leisurely places his hands on the wall on both sides of her head. The breathless knight leans forward and captures her lips with his. The unity and wholeness he felt when their fingers laced was nothing compared to the euphoria he is feeling now. _

_His head tilts to the side as he closes his lips on her cool bottom lip. The cerulean girl moans softly against his mouth as she begins to return the kiss. Large cobalt eyes close as she loops her arms behind Terra's neck. He fought the urge to snarl as he feels her smooth skin lick the sides of his neck and her fingers dig into his hair. Terra's hands find her waist and he peels her off the wall and brings her body even closer to his. The warrior could not get close enough to her._

_After giving her many sets of relatively chaste strokes with his lips Terra decides he wants more and he is going to take it. The earthen man opens his mouth a bit wider so he could gently rub the tip of his tongue along her delicious bottom lip. The aquamarine shivers and opens her mouth for him. _

_**Good girl!**_

_Terra smirks against her mouth as he softly runs his tongue along hers. Aqua is still at first, allowing him to rub and stroke her tongue with his, but she eventually takes initiative and begins returning the provocative favor in between their heated kisses. His skin is starting to burn and his breathing is starting to quicken but not because he has been chasing Aqua._

_The Dark Knight growls softly as he interrupts one of the azure woman's tongue strokes and lightly captures her tongue with his teeth. The blue-haired female squeaks as Terra sucks on her captive muscle and gently pulls it farther into his mouth. _

_Meanwhile the heated knights hands begin getting anxious. They leave their place on her waist and begin roaming over her hips and bare back. He squeezes, pulls, and rubs at her thighs and hips. His hands wander from her thighs and up into her skirt. __Terra could not be sated. __The male keyblade master massages the inside of her extreme upper thighs before gently grazing the length of his hand back and forth along the front of her undergarments._

"_Hey," Aqua whispers breathlessly as she hesitantly pulls herself away from Terra's skilled mouth._

"_Hmm," the man with deep blue eyes replies. His eyes are heavy and half lidded. _

"_Lets continue this in your room," she suggests in between their passionate movements._

_Terra clears his throat and nods as he follows the indigo young woman into his room. _

"_You think we can be quiet?" she breathes suggestively against his lips as he uses his back to shut the door. _

"_We can try," the knight answers gruffly as he bends down and grabs the back of Aqua's porcelain legs, lifting her up forcing her to quickly wrap her dainty legs around his powerful waist. _

_Aqua titters as her silver shoes fall off her feet while the man carrying her kicks off his own shoes before sitting her on his bed. _

_Confident graceful hands find the buttons of Terra's white shirt and swiftly pop them open. Once his chest is revealed Aqua's cool hands massage over his pecks and down over his rugged abs. Her hands slide back up to his chest and linger over his strong booming heartbeat. The cerulean girl's thumb dwells on his chest's powerful pulse. _

"_What is it?" the warrior asks sincerely as he runs his fingers through her lengthy cobalt tresses. _

"_Nothing," she beams at him affectionately, "I have just always loved the sound of your heartbeat." _

_Terra grins back at her and finishes removing his button up and his black jacket while Aqua reaches behind her head and unfastens the diamond button that holds the high collared dress around her neck. The constriction around her neck falls as well as the upper half of the garment and the top of the dress pools in her lap. _

_The young woman sits confidently in front of her lover and brushes her vibrant hair over her shoulders in order to completely reveal herself to him. Despite her confident posture and actions Aqua still subtly nibbles at her bottom lip while Terra gazes down at her with smoldering lust filled eyes. _

_The Dark Knight leans down and plants his fists into the bed on both sides of her hips as he seizes her delectable lips once more. The serene seeress instantly tilts her head back in submission. Terra applies pressure to her mouth as he gently lays her back on his bed. _

_Aqua immediately moans the moment her bare chest collides with Terra's warmed one. She trembles fiercely as he settles on top of her. _

"_Your always so warm," she mumbles against his heavy lips as her hands glide over the rippling muscles of his back. _

"_No, your just cold," the young man counters as he lifts her with one arm and slings her body around like a rag doll so her head is correctly placed on his pillows. _

_Terra sits on his knees between her legs and proceeds to remove the rest of the dress from her body. He makes sure that the removal of the garment is painfully slow; he wants to watch her squirm. The knight sluggishly slid the silky fabric off her hips, making sure that his hands and fingers graze the flesh that covers her hips as he removes it. Then he gently pulls he article of clothing off her legs while he brushes his fingertips all the way from her hips to the top of her ankles. _

_The azure maiden arches her back, writhes helplessly, and claws at the vermillion sheets as Terra takes his time performing what would normally be a simple action. _

_After he removes her dress the brunette rapidly takes off the bottom half of his clothes and throws all of the clothing into the floor. _

_Aqua spreads her legs gingerly as Terra crawls up the length of her body and settles down in between her parted limbs. Her caring hands caress his face and brush random stands of brown out of his handsome face while the knight's hands softly explore every inch of her body. They wander over the plains of her stomach, the curves in her sides, the bulk of her hips, and the arc in her back. _

_Finally his hands sweep down to her pale white undergarments and hook its vulnerable sides with his hands. Terra wants to rip the damn thing to shreds, but he does all he can to calm his animalistic tendencies. Instead of ripping her undergarments to pieces like he wants, he slides them down the length of her legs, feathering kisses down her abdomen, hips, and legs as he goes._

_Aqua's hands pet and pull at his hair as she whimpers and squirms while he kisses his way back up her body after disposing of the unwanted obstacle. Terra kisses and licks that valley between her breasts before he giving each individual sphere the attention it desires. Since his mouth can not be two places at once he makes sure to use his hands to make up for any neglect the other half of her chest might feel. _

_The longer Terra plays, sucks, and licks at her chest the more impatient and needy the Seer Sage becomes. _

"_Terra!" Aqua pleads as her legs slid up and down the length of Terra's muscular torso. _

"_Had enough?" he teased as he licked the apex of one of her breasts at an agonizingly slow pace while he watched her with burning blue eyes. _

"_Yes!" she begged as her back arched into him and her hips ground roughly into his. _

_That was all Terra could stand, he had reached his breaking point and her grinding her bare lower body against him like that was enough to drive any man mad._

_He was planning on smothering the lower segment of her body with attention as well but who is he to deny the lovely lady of what she truly longs for?_

**_I have never been one much for foreplay anyway...Aqua must be aware to how I operate in the bedroom...she seems accustomed to it...to me..._**

_The unarmored knight repositions himself over her and presses his hands into the bed underneath her arms. Just as Terra is preparing to enter her Aqua delicately runs her fingers over his slightly parted mouth. _

_Terra's dark blue eyes went wide as her hands touch him tenderly. She marvels at his lips and traced her soft fingertips over the edges of his chin. _

"_Terra," she whispers his name with vast amounts of devotion as she holds her fingertips on his scalding lips, "I love you."_

_The Dark Knight swallows hard, really hard. A huge lump forms in his throat as the words wriggle into his ear and crawl down into his chest. That uncomfortable feeling is back. _

_**It feels like…it almost feels like it did when she wouldn't take my hand that night…the night after the dinner…the night I took her keyblade…**_

_The feeling stings deep in his sternum, but as he looks down into her shimmering eyes the pain begins to cease. The tickling turns into a soothing heat that fills every single void he has ever felt, just like when he held her hand and when he kissed her…he felt…whole…complete. _

"_I love you too," he uttered so softly she barely heard it as he once again takes her lips prisoner. _

_While he kisses her with as much passion and intimacy as he can muster, he firmly gripped her be her hips and finally slid inside of her. His affectionate mouth muffled her slight discomforted gasp. As she takes a moment to adjust Terra continues to try to distract her by massaging her hips and squeezing her thighs. The last thing he wants is to hurt her even though somehow he knew that she no longer had her hymen. _

_**Not like Blue...no I am sure I took care of this Aqua's mark of virginity a long time ago...**_

_The earthen keyblade master releases her mouth and forcefully shoves her head to the side with his cheek before plummeting to the crook of her neck as he proceeds to devour its tender flesh. _

_Aqua holds her head to the side as she grips and claws at Terra's wide, tanned shoulders. She moves with him. Even in bed she moves with unmatched grace and tranquility. The cerulean maiden knows exactly how to move with Terra, she does not inhibit his movements she cascades with them. Aqua molds to Terra and his tantalizing actions. Water does not clash with earth and rock it melds around it, seeps into it, and it conforms to it. _

_Terra was experiencing absolute bliss he cannot get enough of her. His thirst can not be quenched, not ever. Each new thrust feels better than the last and each new noise that erupts from Aqua's delightful throat is more arousing than the one that came before it. He knows he is making unearthly sounds but he cannot stop himself. The knight grunts, roars, and moans in utter elation. _

_The couple tosses and turns and twirls the sheets and bed spread into unrecognizable heaps as they fought for dominance. _

_**Just like in Amur…**_

_As Terra propels Aqua to her back once more he shackles her hands to the bed as the watery maiden's back arches and she reaches her euphoric zenith. His fingers lace with hers as he watches her achieve her pinnacle. The seeress pants and thrashes as she murmurs indecipherable praises and moans. _

_Terra smirks, The Dark Knight never goes first. _

_Amongst Aqua's fierce peak Terra also achieved his as she wiggled and moaned his name over and over again. The knight grunts and groans loudly as he buries his face in his lover's porcelain neck. All of his muscles tense as he clutches her hands even tighter. _

_After what seems like a short eternity they both finally stilled. Terra exhales harshly through his mouth as he frees Aqua's hands. As Terra is about to roll off her Aqua whines and envelops her arms around his masculine neck. _

"_Not yet," she pleads breathlessly "don't leave me yet."_

"_I wasn't going to leave you," he said his voice raspy and gruff from overuse. _

_The knight holds Aqua's body firmly to his as he exhaustedly rolls onto his back. The drained girl lays her head on his torso and he rested his cheek on her blue head as she drew tiny circles on his heaving sweat kissed chest. _

"_Together. Always?" her voice was tired and weak as she glances up at him, placing her dainty chin on his chest. _

"_Always," her knight reassures her as he kisses her damp forehead. _

_The pain starts to come back. His sternum begins to burn and Terra suddenly felt like he was on fire. His whole body is being devoured by an inferno that is eating him from the inside out. _

"_Aqua?" he inquires as he peers down at his chest. _

_She is gone. _

"_Aqua! No! Don't leave me!" he cries as he starts ripping through the crimson sheets in search for her. His other half, his essence, his passion, his very being._

_The sheets no longer simply have the appearance of blood, the sheets are literally covered in blood, they may even be blood. _

_Terra is suddenly covered in blood. His body begins to seep into the bloody bed that has quickly turned into a pool of scarlet quicksand. _

"_Fuck!" the knight cries as he wrestles to get out of the acidic, lethal bed that gains more depth with each breath he takes. _

_The blood burns his skin and it begins rotting and falling off of him. Terra frantically yanks at his legs but they are permanently caught in the red, concrete snare that is still consuming him. He is sinking and he is sinking fast. Bloody mutilated hands grasp at sheets that now feel like gory entrails as he tries to swim out of the deadly cradle of gore and guts. _

_Before he knows it the chunky ghastly mass is up to this throat eventually the crimson fluid covers his chin and creeps up his jaw. _

"_AQUA!"_

* * *

Midnight blue eyes savagely ripped open and Terra jolted so violently in his bed that Aqua yelped as his thrashing movements woke her from her satisfying slumber.

Cobalt locks filled his perspective as the aroma of jasmine and lavender violated his nostrils. Terra's heart brutally clenched

_Aqua...it is Aqua..._

The Dark Knight gagged roughly and released Aqua's waist and hysterically sat up in bed. The warrior could not catch his breath. His chest heaved aggressively as he restlessly ran his fingers through his deep brown hair.

The azure girl tilted her body toward his and glanced over her shoulder at him "What's wrong?"

Terra's breath hitched as he peered down at the girl watching him with concerned detached eyes. He panicked. She looked just like the girl from his dream because she was the girl from his dream and it was enough to make him go mad. They were identical and Terra was so confused and to top it all off he was hyperventilating.

"No-nothing, nothing I-I just need to get…get some…some air," he stuttered as he clumsily removed the ruby covers from his shaking, sweat covered body.

The dark keyblade master launched himself out of bed and barreled through the balcony doors. The cool night air smothered his flaming skin as he staggered to the edge of the balcony. Terra fiercely clasped the balcony railing until his knuckles turned white. His breathing was returning to normal but his mind was still muddled and baffled by the vivid and unorthodox dream.

"Terra," he heard that familiar and gentle voice. _Her _voice, "are you alright?"

Aqua stood in the balcony doorway in her small white lacy slip she had begun willingly wearing to bed. Her arms were crossed in front of herself to shield her body from the chill in the crisp night air. The wind blew at her sapphire hair and her indigo tresses flowed in front of her beautiful face.

_My dream didn't do her justice. She is much prettier in person..._

"Huh?" Terra answered in an extremely puzzled tone as he gazed over his shoulder at her.

It took the perplexed and disordered brunette a while to process what she was even saying to him "What? Yeah, yeah…yeah. I-I'm…I'm ok."

"Do I need to get someone?" the Child of Light questioned.

She placed an ivory hand over her heart and looked in the direction of the hallway.

"Just um just go back to bed. I'll be there in a minute," the gloomy warrior replied while he peered back at her.

He noticed her monstrous scars. The ones that he gave her. Scars that would likely mar her beautiful skin forever.

"You are so weird," Aqua said before she yawned and headed back to his large canopy bed.

That was when Terra was plagued by an emotion he had not felt in years. One that he had been punished severely for as a child. It was one of the many feelings that had been beaten out of him during his pursuit of becoming a Dark Knight.

Guilt.

**_A/N: Thanks for reading! Ok lets talk about Terra's dream for a moment. It is kind of Terra's subconscious' twisted idea of how his life with Aqua should be. Also The dream is set as if they were raised together in The Dark Realm. Terra is a Dark Knight and Aqua is a Seer Sage. You get the idea. More of the dream details will be addressed later so you will just have to wait until the next update. Don't hate me! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. _**


	8. Best Not to Think About It

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy

**Chapter 8**

**Best Not to Think About It**

Terra did not go back to sleep after his dream. Instead he reluctantly held a sleeping Aqua while he gradually creeped into the poisonous clutches of insanity.

She had put a spell on him. He was sure of it. She was a witch, a sorceress and she was trying to demoralize him. That was the only explanation for such absurd dreams…no nightmares.

The cerulean girl had crawled out of his embrace a few moments ago, but Terra did not get out of bed. He simply lied on his back with his stocky arm over his drained blood-shot eyes.

The knight aggressively chewed his tongue and gnawed on the inside of his cheeks.

He was not paying attention to the Light keyblade wielder. Terra could hear her banging around in the bathroom and that was good enough for him. She could be making some object to kill him for all he knew but he just could not bring himself to care.

"Did you ever get back to sleep last night?"

_She speaks. Damn it. _

"Not really," his voice was husky and rough.

"It must have been some dream to have put you so on edge," the young woman called from the luxurious cherry colored bathroom.

_You have no idea. _

"It wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare," he answered but the man was completely immobile, he did not budge an inch.

"I didn't think you went back to sleep…I didn't feel you…" Aqua replied as she walked in front of the mirror attached to Terra's dressing table and started playing with the ends of her hair.

Regretfully, the unusual maiden had become familiar with Terra's sleeping patterns. She could tell when he was asleep and when he was only resting.

"No. I just held you," Terra said without thinking.

_Fuck!_

The warrior's face turned bright red as he continued to hold his arm over his eyes.

_Oh well. She can't see me blushing. _

A dream about fucking Aqua would have been one thing. Terra understood fucking. There did not have to be any feeling or method behind it. All it required was physical attraction and a willing participant. But he didn't just fuck her…he had…he had been in love with her! He had been in love with Aqua and he had even _told_ her that he loved her. Terra had kissed her…caressed her…and just…

"I am going to stay in town today," he informed blankly as he hopelessly tried to repress any and all memories of his ludicrous dream.

"Oh?" the captive maiden inquired as she brushed through her unique hair in front of the large mirror.

"Yeah. I am not fit to…leave town today. I won't impose on your lesson, but I will be around," the brunette continued as he released his eyes and stared at the cascading canopy of red above his bed. "I'll stay around the Palace of Retribution or something. Vanitas can cover for me."

"Is that…is that wise?" the azure woman hesitantly asked.

Vanitas was a monster among monsters. As Aqua got to know the knights she learned that Vanitas was by far the most feral. He was wild, unpredictable, and above all dangerous. The Child of Light began to understand why Terra was their leader instead of Vanitas.

"Probably not," Terra answered honestly as he placed his hands behind his head.

"Are you even getting out of bed today?" Aqua questioned as the earthen warrior felt her sit on the foot of his canopy bed "you are usually up before I am."

_'Terra you hopeless sleepy head, wake up!'_

The Dark Knight's stomach lurched at the memory.

"I am in no hurry, unless you just _want_ to stay with the seers longer," he challenged as he continued to avoid looking at her as if she would turn him to stone if he were to look directly at her.

"No, I am good," the young woman quickly protested as she shook her head back and forth.

_You have to face her eventually. Stop being so fucking stupid, Terra. _

"So what was your dream about?" she continued.

_Oh you know the usual. Just that we had grown up together...you were a Seer Sage and I was madly in love with you. _

"Something stupid," the unarmored knight snapped as he finally sat up.

"I need to take a shower," Terra groused as he unwillingly removed himself from his consoling bed.

_I need to wash all this shit and stupid off of me…_

"Don't go getting any ideas," he threatened as he gripped Aqua's chin and compelled her to look at him.

The male regretted touching her the instant he did it. Observing her was one thing, but touching her had been another. He thought he could handle it…he was wrong. The dream and its contaminating thoughts were much too fresh.

"I won't," she replied with far away eyes as she gently dislodged her chin away from Terra's fingertips.

_Her eyes. They are cold and detached again…she won't look at me with anything except contempt and hatred behind those beautiful orbs. _

"Just because I am in the shower doesn't mean you that are not being watched," the Dark Knight continued to warn as he approached the lavish restroom "so even if you did try to leave someone else would catch you. Remember you are in our stronghold and you are not permitted to go _anywhere_ without me."

"Ok! I get it! Just go take your shower!" Aqua complained as she buried her face in the pillow Terra had laying been on moments before.

Sighing heavily, Terra entered the bathroom and began running water into the tub. He slammed the bathroom door a bit harder than necessary and threw off his sleeping pants. The muddled young man got into the shower even though the water had not had enough time to warm.

The earthen male hissed as the cool water licked all over his skin. The cool touch reminded him of Aqua. The way she felt, the way her body felt, and how it felt when she put her caring hands on him. Her wintery temperature was not uncomfortable…it was refreshing and calming.

_Stop it!_

He could not stop, his body did not listen and neither did his mind. The impression was too strong. Terra closed his navy blue eyes and bashed his head into the stone siding of his shower as the chilled fluid continued to violate him.

Her soft, cool hands were on him. She was rubbing his back and her silky legs were wrapped tightly around his waist. Every single inch of her had been so brisk and compassionate. It calmed him and extinguished the raging fire that always blazed fiercely inside of him.

The memories would not stop washing over him, the flowed over his body like the water that was erupting from his silver shower head.

Terra could sense her, the girl from the dream. The liquid's chilly temperature kept bringing additional memories forth. Details began to resurface and they seemed more in-depth than they had been when he was actually experiencing the dream.

Sensations he didn't think he was ever capable of experiencing again started gushing back. The arctic freshness of her fingertips on his lips as she whispered sweet nothings to him and the pungent smell of lavender tickling into his nose and up into his brain as he consumed her frost kissed neck. He was brutally aware of it all.

The recollection of ice glazing over her cool skin and Terra quickly melting it with his normal body temperature. Exhaling onto the frozen water that gave her skin an ethereal sheen until it liquefied before quickly lapping up the recently thawed fluids from her warming flesh.

Terra was even recalling the tightness of her womanhood around his girth. The icy hot sensation they created as their bodies became one and balanced each other out. It was a heavenly union and an euphoric equilibrium.

Finally, the water turned warm and the assault of reminiscence ceased. What never was and never could be faded. Reality was returning. The girl in the other room was not _his _Aqua, she was Blue and she did not love him anymore than he loved her. It was only a dream and it had ended.

A dream where things were as Terra thought they should be. A world where Aqua did not hate him, where he did not have to control her, where she willingly lived within the Dark Capital. A place where they could both be happy...and apparently they could find that happiness with each other...

But Blue did not want to dance with him, she didn't even want to touch him, she watched him with disconnected eyes full of distaste and aversion, she did not laugh wildly when he chased her, she did not smile when she saw his face, and she did not willingly share a bed with him.

The Aqua from his dream did not exist, the girl who had never been tortured by The Dark Realm, and the one that was never oppressed and orphaned. The Aqua that Terra never hurt…

Terra wasn't even sure that the man he was in that dream existed either.

_I have never been in love…I wouldn't know…_

The haze was clearing. The dream-induced hangover was withdrawing and Terra was sobering. The male keyblade master was returning to his normal state of mind with each cascade of hot water.

_I should be ok now. I can probably face her now. _

He turned off the scalding water and exited the steaming shower. Terra walked to his fogged mirror and wiped off the condensation that had accumulated on its surface before he took a long hard look at himself.

It was the man underneath all the blackened armor. The man in the mirror was the other half of himself. The young man who existed when the garb and duty was removed. Terra hardly recognized the man because the armor was rarely removed. The brunette hardly felt human anymore. The pressure of responsibility and duty had become so routine that Terra was never really Terra anymore. He had to be the knight, the immortal.

The knight and the man with dark brown hair were almost two different people. The knight was ruthless and cruel. He demanded perfection and accomplishment but once all that was achieved the terrifying intensity diminished. Just like when he had conquered Aqua in Amur. The instant he got compliance and submission from her his mood changed dramatically.

Terra's savagery did have limits unlike his foster-brother Vanitas. The warrior was barbaric, he would be the first to admit it, but it was a means to an end. Terra was not vicious for the sake of being vicious; he did it to accomplish goals. It was not out of pure enjoyment.

_I am thinking too much!_ He harshly scolded himself as he cleared his throat and wrapped a towel around his dripping waist.

The shirtless male exited the bathroom and made his way to his armored mannequin.

Aqua was lying on her stomach with her arms folded under her head. Upon hearing Terra enter the room she peeked over one of her arms and she quickly blushed. She had seen the blue-eyed warrior shirtless many times since she…moved in…but she was still getting use to him. The fact that Terra was still wet and just in a towel did not make the adjustment any easier. The female keyblade wielder had seen him like this a few times before but she still felt embarrassed.

"Look away or cover your face unless you want to see me naked," the guardian spoke as he grabbed the towel around his waist.

The young woman squeaked before covering her head with his pillow.

She knew the drill, she knew Terra would undress regardless but she did always appreciate his warnings when he was undressing with her in the same room as him. Terra appeared to be moderately considerate of her virtue and innocence and she was thankful for that even if she never expressed it.

"Alright. Its safe now," Terra stated as he finished adjusting the lower portion of his armor.

The azure girl peeked out from under his pillow to be sure before she sat up to watch him.

"Do you think they will make me…will they make me project into the future today?" Aqua asked as she watched Terra slowly transform into the Dark Knight.

Terra cringed. He had been so distracted by his ignorant dream he hadn't even thought about the Seer Sages.

"I won't let them," he answered curtly.

The broody keyblade master meant what he said. He would not let them turn her into something like that…unless the Overlords and the Elders demanded it. Then it would be out of his hands. Terra could defy the Seer Sages, but not The Court.

"Unless The Court orders that you become a seer, but I am not convinced that it is even possible for you to become one," he rambled as he began thinking out loud.

"What is The Court again? And what makes you think I can't become a seeress! I probably could if I tried," Aqua huffed as she felt her abilities being questioned and placed her dainty hands on her shapely hips.

"The Court is the entity that calls all the shots. It is made of the Overlords and the Elders. They become one to make decisions about the affairs of the world, Purges and all that shit," the young man with midnight blue eyes answered as he tried his best not to stare at her hips.

"And a seer is usually something that you either are or you're not. And if you were one I think you would know it by now," he continued as he rearranged his chest plate, "I am not questioning your abilities or anything I am just saying that it isn't very likely that you can become one overnight. Like I said most of the time it is something you with either have the ability to do or not."

"The seers seem to think that I could," Aqua countered.

"Yeah they could probably force you into it but since you don't have the natural ability you would probably go blind from having to put extra effort into it," Terra said as he began coating his arms in black metal.

"Blind?" the cerulean girl yelped as she rested one of her hands over her heart.

"Yeah," Terra turned and sat next to her on the bed "you see every day Larxene and the others project is a risk. Being a seer is a uncertin, hazardous thing. They were natural seers but we have had seers that were not necessarily born with the ability. Like you."

"Anyway, the farther into the future they look or the more people they track at the same time the higher the risk is. It is an unnatural ability in general, but if they peer too far or if they do too much physical effects can manifest. Blindness is often a result of a seer going beyond their means or abilities," he continued as they sat on his feathery bed and actually held fuzzy eye contact.

"So since you weren't born with the natural ability and do not regularly receive visions without effort you would have to try _a lot_ harder to receive bits of the future or whatever your area of expertise would be. As a result you would put too much strain on your body and your perception. You would probably be completely blind within a year or so," Terra explained as he looked into her gorgeous sky blue eyes.

He would hate to see them glaze over and turn into a pale gray as a result of blindness.

"Which brings this conversation full circle!" the knight said as he put his hands on his knees and rose to his feet, "If you become a Seer Sage you will probably go blind. You are too valuable to the Overlords physically and especially magically to waste your eyesight like that. If they wanted to use you they would much rather use your magic abilities and your skills as a keyblade wielder. So I seriously doubt they would demand that you become a Seer Sage. It would be a waste."

"Is that why you didn't make me project yesterday?" Aqua asked as her luminous eyes followed him.

_Partly…_

"Yeah. I knew they wanted you to carry some of their load. See if they had you do some of the more dangerous work they wouldn't have to do it. Better you go blind than them. Then they could blame it on your inexperience," the bronze warrior replied.

"That is so sneaky. Isn't that going against The Court?" the aquamarine female questioned.

"Kind of. They didn't ask permission, but I doubt they received orders to do that to you either. That is another reason I am not worried about them complaining about me not making you peer into the future yesterday. I am not the one in the wrong here," he continued explaining before he secured his helmet atop his head.

"Do I have to go?" Aqua complained even though she knew the answer.

"Yes. Up," Terra commanded as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

The knight held her by her arm as he led her out of his bedroom and down through the extravagant hallways of The Tarnen Palace.

"You can let go whenever you want!" the azure keyblade wielder protested as he tried to yank her arm out of her captors thick gasp.

"Habit," the shadowy knight mumbled gutturally inside his headgear and shrugged as he liberated her limb.

By now Terra had realized that Aqua probably would not run away and it appeared that she accepted her inevitable fate here, but he could never let his guard down. He was being honest when he said that he tugged her out of habit, it was just what he did to ensure she was doing what she needed to be doing.

"So you're staying in the Palace of Retribution today?" the cobalt young woman inquired as she walked beside him.

"No objections to that I hope," Terra replied desolately.

"No, I'm not objecting," she spoke softly and it vaguely reminded him of the girl from his dream, "I just wanted to clarify."

Truthfully Aqua was relieved Terra would be nearby, that way she could complain to him if Larxene, Marluxia, or Zexion tried anything. However, she was also hoping she would not require his assistance.

* * *

The ebony warrior was beginning to regret his decision to stay in Hollow Bastion. He was getting bored within the chapel on the other side of The Palace of Retribution. For the past hour he had watched people come in and pray to Darkness for guidance and strength and anything else they could possibly want.

Terra was pretty sure he heard a young lady pray for him to notice her. So far her prayer had not been answered. He wouldn't even be able to recall her hair color if someone asked him.

The Dark keyblade master was getting antsy. What could possibly be taking this long? The sun was setting and Aqua's lessons were not supposed to linger into the night. The faint rays of the setting sun were no longer shining through the blue, green, and white designs of the chapel's stain glass windows.

He was moments away from running into the study they were holding her in and telling them to wrap it up.

"What are they doing?" a gentle and elegant voice reached out to him.

"Praying," he answered bluntly as he gazed down at the blue-haired girl who had taken a seat in one of the pews he stood by.

"How was the lesson?" the brunette questioned genuinely as he placed his hand on the back of her seat.

"Boring. They just ranted about how important they are to The Dark Rule and how great they are," Aqua gave a vague and slightly exaggerated version of the day's actual lesson.

Terra chuckled, "That seems about right."

"Larxene also called me a fat grotesque whore," the radiant girl huffed as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, I have heard her call you that more than once. Among other things," the navy-eyed knight replied with a sneer.

"Well I think she is lovely," Aqua replied honestly as she folded her hands in her lap, "on the outside anyway."

He could not understand how Aqua could say such kind things about someone who had been so cruel to her. He assumed it had something to do with her inner radiance.

The Dark Knight scoffed, "I guess."

Terra use to find Larxene attractive…but that was a very long time ago.

The ethereal maiden sat and watched the people praying at the front of the chapel with a perplexed look on her face.

"Surprised?" the guardian asked as he noticed his charge staring at the Dark Followers.

"A little," the icy keyblade wielder answered honesty.

"They may not pray to the same_ entity_ as you but a few of them still choose to pray none the less," he stated as he leaned against the pew.

"For what?" the azure girl resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose.

"The same things that you would pray for," the dark warrior replied as he turned to leave, "They _are_ still people you know."

"Well it kind of easy for me to forget that," Aqua snapped as she unwillingly followed Terra out of the extravagant building.

"Why? Because we aren't like you?" Terra quickly countered as he glared at her from within his helmet.

"That's not what I have a problem with," the wintery young woman argued.

"Okay, what is it that you do have a problem with?" he decided to humor her as they walked through the vacant dimly lighted streets that led back to Tarnen Palace.

"It is about right and wrong. None of you understand what it even means anymore. Everything is blurred…" the serene young girl answered even though she wasn't quite sure why she was having this discussion with a man who was clearly one of _them._

"Right and wrong huh?" the temperamental male repeated as he opened one of the colossal crimson and gold doors of the palace.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't expect you to know anything about that," Aqua challenged emotionlessly, she knew he would not understand.

"What makes you so sure that_ you're_ right?" Terra quickly countered as they walked past silent housekeepers performing last-minute chores while random guards and standard Dark Knights were stationed at their posts.

"Because what you people do is clearly wrong. Tell me how the Purge and imprisoning and killing innocent people is right?" the blue-eyed woman asked as she bitterly thought of a million other reasons of why The Dark Rule was immoral.

"Those things are done for the greater good. Sometimes sacrifices are required in order to achieve certain results," the guiltless warrior stated as if she would not know any better.

"Is that what they tell you?" the cobalt keyblade wielder mocked as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes but I wouldn't expect you to understand the mechanics and purpose behind it."

"Oh and what_ purpose_ is that?"

"Have you seen this town? The people here are happy and they are prospering. This city is the vision The Court has for the world. These people are doing _a lot_ better than the rotting society and civilization you were raised in," the moody young man ridiculed.

"It is rotting because of you!" she shouted without thinking.

"Because you and yours refuse to follow the rules and accept the way things are now!" Terra roared as Aqua shoved past him and dashed into the room they shared.

The young keyblade wielder did not answer, instead she sat at the Dark Knight's dressing table and began forcefully yanking the tangles out of her mane.

"You know that kind of impudent thinking is what got your people into this mess in the first place," the chocolate haired man stated as he leaned against his doorway and watched Aqua abuse her sapphire hair.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she spat in between tugs as her eyes lowered.

"You do, all that holier than thou bullshit that all of you pull. The idea that you are better than us just because you are blessed by the Light and we are demons because we have Dark powers and we don't operate like you do. Because we have different abilities and because we were a threat to you that automatically makes us fiends."

"We were right though. You all did turn out to be demons and fiends," the sapphire maiden retorted.

Terra had a lot more to say but he was just not in the mood to argue with her anymore. Instead he began roughly discarding his armor, taking his rage out on the gloomy, bulky equipment. He did not even bother putting it all on the mannequin. The earthen warrior simply slung the chunks of metal around the room.

It was getting close to their bedtime and the dusky knight was dreading it. He was a bit concerned that he would be swarmed by more eccentric dreams, but he was also so exhausted from the sleep deprivation he experienced the night before that he almost didn't give a damn.

"Can you give me a minute?" the indigo captive questioned as she gently placed the brush on the smooth surface of the dressing table.

"Sure. I have to dress for bed anyway," Terra said passively as he immersed himself in his bathroom.

After catapulting the rest of his ebony protective covering off his tanned body, he threw on a pair of his beige sleeping pants and stared into his bathroom mirror.

"No more dreams Terra. Don't be demented," he scolded himself as he slouched forward and glared at his striking doppelgänger.

The dark-haired man sighed deeply before leaving the safety of his bathroom.

Aqua was dressed for bed. She was in one of the many white silk slips she had been given to sleep in. The cobalt keyblade wielder was seated in the center of the bed with her legs crisscrossed in front of her while she twisted her fingertips.

It was a subtle, simple action and position but Terra couldn't help but find it endearing.

The shady warrior quickly shook his head as if it would remove the contaminated thoughts before he leapt nimbly onto the bed. He mimicked her position and sat in front of her.

"Your pretty agile for your size," she mocked venomously but she did not look at him, instead she began playing with the stitching on the bed spread.

"I have to be. Its part of the job," The Dark Knight responded arrogantly as he placed his hands under his chin and intently watched the girl in front of him.

"How old are you?" Aqua questioned as she briefly glanced up at him.

"Twenty-one," he answered simply "and you?"

"Eighteen," the aquamarine female stated as she gazed back down at her lap.

_Hmm, that seems about right. I figured I was a bit older than her. _

The duo sat that way for a long time, in the silence that always came after their frequent arguments. Neither wanting to speak and neither wanting to start another fight. Terra was also too mesmerized by her simple movements to speak. He was intrigued and hypnotized by her even though he had absolutely no idea why.

"Terra," the watery girl was the first to shatter the lingering silence.

Midnight blue eyes rose and peered at her lovely face.

"I'm really tired. Can we go to bed?" she questioned as she crawled in the direction of her pillow.

Terra did not answer but he began pulling back the covers and fluffing his pillow while Aqua nestled into her side of the bed with her back facing him as always.

The keyblade master watched her for a moment before he took his place behind her and secured his arms around her thin waist. Terra had recently stopped using the barrier of blankets and had started simply holding her so that he could get under the covers as well. Aqua objected vigorously at first but she appeared to be reluctantly adjusting to the new form of containment.

As Terra spent more time with her it became easier for him to share a bed with her and he started trying to find new ways to get comfortable. He had realized that actually holding the girl around her toned middle underneath the sheets and blankets was much more comfortable than holding her though cumbersome amounts of covering. The blue-eyed warrior much preferred embracing her slender form instead of the layers of fabric that surrounded her. It was also easier for him to pick up on her movements. It was a win, win for the young man.

The guardian detained Aqua by her waistline and buried his face in her lavender-scented hair and the back of her ivory neck. She had stopped crying herself to sleep each night and they were both able to get to sleep quicker. That night was no exception. After a few disputes and complaints from Aqua, the couple drifted into an_ almost_ gratifying slumber.

In the early hours of the morning the sapphire young woman began to shiver and tremble uncontrollably in the night's lingering blackness. Instinctively, she backed into the warmth that she felt radiating behind her but she still could not get warm.

_I am freezing…_she frantically thought in her sleep.

Tremors violently rushed throughout her body as she wrapped her arms around herself. The blankets that enveloped her could not save her from the bitter cold that was gradually swallowing her whole. She whined and groaned before she roughly flipped and flopped in bed until she eventually rolled over to face the heat that she felt behind her.

"What is it?" Terra softly grumbled incoherently as he felt Aqua's aggressive shivering followed by her hysterically burying herself into his chest.

Sleepy navy-blue eyes hovered open and he placed a hand on her shoulder. He was about to shake her awake, but she was like ice. Aqua always had a natural coolness to her skin but this was a bitter, uncomfortable cold.

_Her body is fighting the magic suppressant. It has thrown her body off-balance._

He could not let her suffer, not when he could help her...

The knight gently pulled her closer to his chest, making sure not to wake her. He wrapped his arms around her shuddering body and held her to him. Aqua did not embrace him, but she placed her clenched fists on his chest and hid her hypothermic face in the crook of his snug neck.

Terra shifted and tenderly repositioned himself as well as the frozen girl against him until he was sure she was comfortable. After a few moments he decided to place his cheek on top of her head and try to go back to sleep despite the intense discomfort he felt from holding the frigid young woman.

_Warm. It is good and warm…_the indigo keyblade wielder thought inwardly as she compressed herself against the cozy heat.

A few hours later icy cobalt eyes fluttered open. Aqua was not on her normal side of the bed; she was on something warm, sturdy, and almost soft. Tan skin and rippling muscles filled her vision as she wiggled against the heated object. Her porcelain legs shifted and she realized one of her legs was draped over the lap of _thing_ she was laying on top of. Aqua's tiny-balled fists rested on the plains of the unknown object's chest while her head rested underneath its chin. A thick masculine hand was resting on the curve of her waist while its head was lightly positioned on top of hers.

Timid, dazzling baby blue eyes traveled up the chiseled torso to a familiar face. Terra. She was asleep on the captain of The Dark Knight's chest. His smoldering eyes were closed and his face was peaceful and tranquil as he continued to sleep.

Aqua panicked and screamed as she reeled backwards off of Terra's sultry chest and into the floor by her side of the bed.

The sleeping knight jolted awake and watched as Aqua and half of his bed's blankets plummeted to the floor.

Terra had been expecting Aqua to have an unpleasant reaction to waking up facing him but he wasn't expecting her reaction to be so strong.

The warrior groaned and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"Why did you move me?" the sapphire girl screeched as she sat up in the floor.

"I didn't. You did it on your own," Terra challenged while he laid on his back and rubbed his weary eyes.

"Then why didn't you wake me up?!" Aqua countered as she fixed the strap of her slip that had dropped off her shoulder during her fall.

"I was going to but you were having a hypothermic episode,"the knight said nonchalantly as he placed his hands behind his head and stretched his powerful torso.

"I what?"she questioned as she shakily fixed her disheveled hair.

"Your body was fighting the magic suppressant Vexen gave you. As a result your body temperature lowered more than it should as your body tried to revive your powers. Your body is off-balance due to the suppressant so your body is doing unusual things. You got cold, rolled over to face me to get warm, and I let you. I don't know how or when I got on my back and you got on top of me. I slept through that part of our evening," he replied with brutal honesty.

Terra was not disturbed by the situation in the slightest.

Aqua felt sick and not because of her body clashing with the foreign substance in her body. She had been cuddling with Terra and she vaguely recalled doing it. The azure female could recall being cold and the intense quivering…then she remembered finding something warm…no she had found Terra.

The shaken young woman staggered to her feet and stumbled out into the cool hallway.

She was frigid again and she covered her freezing arms with her hands. It hurt. She was way too cold. Her inner blizzard was going wild. What was normally a comforting cool wind was now a raw bone-chilling snowstorm that she had no control over.

Terra was right. Her body was reacting to the magic suppressant, and it was desperately trying to regain its natural abilities. Aqua could_ barely_ sense her magic, but her body kept lowering her temperature to unnatural lows as it tried to reestablish its severed connection.

_It is coming back. I can feel it. It is faint and distant, but it is returning. _

Whispers and giggles invade her ears as she held her aching head in her numb hands. The maids and servants were tittering into their hands as they shamelessly pointed at her while guards and Dark Knights wandered the hallways.

It was then that Aqua remembered she was still in the vivacious night-gown and she had just ran out of Terra's room. The azure girl was sure they were all assuming she and the knight were doing _much_ more than simply sleeping together. She was positive they all thought Terra was having his way with her nightly. Her face heated as she held her head down so that her hair would conceal her. Not that it would do much good, she was the only girl within a thousand mile radius with blue hair…

"Terra!" one of the guards in the hallway called as he knocked on the door Aqua had slammed behind her in her frenzy.

"She is fine," Terra responded casually from inside the room before the guard had the opportunity to voice his concern.

As her caretaker conversed with the guard outside Aqua noticed a door across the hall open. Larxene was exiting what Aqua was pretty sure was Vanitas's room. The blonde seeress was wearing the revealing black dress from the day before.

All of Aqua's assumptions were clarified as a shirtless Vanitas escorted Larxene out of his room and into the hallway. The sapphire maiden's eyes went wide as she watched.

Terra eventually entered the hallway and stood at Aqua's left.

"Well what do you know," Terra scoffed as he noticed Larxene leaving Vanitas's room.

The female keyblade wielder wanted to disappear behind Terra. Suddenly she did not care if everyone thought they were having sex, she just did not want Vanitas or Larxene to notice her and what she had noticed about their bizarre _relationship_.

_Everyone thinks Terra and I are doing what Larxene and Vanitas are **actually** doing... I look just as guilty out here as she does..._

Terra sneered. Vanitas always had to have whatever he had. Everything was a competition. _Everything. _

"Hey Vanitas!" the dark knight yelled down the spacious hallway.

"Terra!" Aqua whispered harshly as she tried to vanish behind his broad back, "stop it!"

"How does my dick taste?" he teased loud enough that the entire hallway heard.

The indigo young woman placed her forehead between his scalding shoulder blades as her fists forcefully pushed at his back.

Vanitas did not answer but he did give an obscene hand gesture before reentering his room while an embarrassed Larxene scurried down the hallway.

"Was that necessary?" the cobalt girl hissed as she peeked around her guardian's large frame.

"Definitely," the knight chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder at the watery maiden behind him.

"Are you better now?" he continued as he turned to face her and propped his strong shoulder against the wall beside Aqua.

"I don't know," she answered as she slid down the wall and buried her face on her knees.

"Well I am going to get ready. Stay out here until you get a hold of yourself, but don't forget that you have lessons today," Terra stated as he disappeared into his room.

The whole situation was driving Aqua insane. She was cold, confused, alone, and scared. More than anything she missed her family…she missed her home and she missed not being helplessly trapped inside The Dark Capital.

Waking up like that with Terra had sent her over the edge. It was just too much. It was a bitter unpleasant reminder of how comfortable she was getting there. That was what the Overlords wanted. It was part of the rehabilitation and it terrified her that things may be working in their favor. Things could be unfolding exactly as they wanted them to and she was powerless against it. She had no way of knowing if she was progressing as they wanted… All she could do was hope that she could endure it all and that she would keep her sanity as well as her Light.

_I won't let it go…I won't let them extinguish it…_

Aqua reentered the room as Terra was adjusting his gauntlets but he did not acknowledge her.

"Did you and Larxene…have a thing or something?" Aqua decided she wanted to talk about something other than their night together…

"A long time ago, when we were both different people," the brown-haired warrior confessed blankly.

The subject was clearly one that he had little to no passion about.

"Is that why they were…" the cerulean female started as she awkwardly glanced at the door that led to the hallway.

"Yes. It is to get a rise out of me. She did it to make me jealous and he did it out of spite. Vanitas likes my sloppy seconds. He loves to prove that he can do whatever I can," Terra said with virtually no amount of interest.

Their little scheme had clearly not worked. Terra definitely wasn't jealous or even fazed. In the hallway he seemed more amused than anything.

_Ugh! I am starting to read and understand his emotions! _She chastised herself as she began dressing for her daily lessons.

* * *

After about a month of recovery, traveling through towns, and riding Snow through endless amounts of terrain Riku had finally reached The Land of Departure.

Normally, Riku could have made the trip in a shorter amount of time but he was still recovering from the nasty concussion he received in Amur. He was also not use to riding a chocobo. Snow had been a bit apprehensive about his new temporary owner, but the two had managed to reach some form of agreement.

The worst part was convincing Snow to leave Amur without Aqua. The faithful companion had refused to leave without his rightful master for hours before finally deciding to heed Riku's commands.

The silver-haired keyblade master dismounted the white chocobo with blue tipped feathers and approached the ruins of The Land of Departure.

Namine was sitting at the bottom of the massive lavender steps that led to the aging, golden castle. The blonde girl wearing a small white dress covered in lacy trim sat with her legs crossed as she peacefully drew in her sketchpad. Shining blue eyes rose as she sensed the man with light blue eyes approaching her.

"Riku!" she called as she dropped her sketchpad on the steps and ran to her old companion, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, Xion, and Ventus. Are they here?" he inquired as he glanced behind her in the direction of the fortress.

"Mm hmm, they are inside," Namine stated as she grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of the golden castle.

They entered the large entryway and made their way up the spiral staircase before they entered the elaborate throne room.

"Ventus!" the golden-haired girl called for her brother as she gently tugged Riku through the castle's beautiful throne room, "Riku is here!"

"Riku?" Xion questioned with worried eyes as she ascended one of the stairways that led down to the student's living quarters on each side of the throne room.

"Hi Xion," Riku greeted the dark-haired keyblade wielder.

"I am glad to see you but I assume this is not a casual visit," the young woman with short black hair replied as she adjusted her short, elegant black top with tiny ruffled edges that barely reached her belly button.

"I wish that it was," he stated as he stared at the floor in defeat.

"What's wrong?" Xion asked as she walked toward him and Namine squeezed his index and middle fingers.

"Riku. It is good to see you. What brings you all the way here?" Ventus welcomed his old friend with dignity and purpose.

Riku could tell by looking at him that he had assumed the role of master of the castle. Again, Ventus had been forced to grow up before his time. The dark keyblade master knew that Ventus's parents had been killed in a Purge and he had been forced to raise and protect his sisters at a young age. Now he had to do it again…

"Its Aqua," the silver-haired man replied reluctantly.

Riku saw no point in avoiding it. He might as well get to the point.

Ventus's big blue eyes dilated and his breath hitched. Namine and Xion looked at each other before frantically looking back at their older brother.

"What about her?" Ventus questioned as he took a step toward Riku. His voice was weak and shaky and full of false confidence.

He was terrified of what Riku would say.

"As you know…she left…" Riku hesitantly continued.

"Yes," the blonde haired male said blankly.

He knew she left. Ventus was brutally reminded of it every day that he went without seeing her. Every day he stayed in The Land of Departure instead of going after her he died a little more inside.

There were many reasons he did not go after her despite his ever-present desire to chase after her. Ventus knew he could not go after her when he had no idea where she was going. He knew she had gone after Kairi and he also knew that, that meant she could have gone anywhere.

The male keyblade wielder also had to think of his sisters. He did not want to take them on a dangerous wild goose chase when Aqua left on her own volition. She was grown and it was her choice, he could not stop it or change it. No matter how guilty he felt…

"Aqua came to me in Naefre. She told me and Diz about the Purge here, about how Kairi and Eraqus were taken and imprisoned," the young man with pale blue eyes explained as Namine released his hand "Diz refused to help her…but I offered to go with her to help her find Kairi. I didn't want her looking for a needle in a haystack by herself."

Ventus nodded for him to continue as Xion and Namine listened intently.

"So I proposed that we go to Doma. Doma is where a lot of former Dark Knights go after they retire. I thought we might find some information on The Dark Realm prisons if we went there," Riku continued as the overwhelming sense of failure began to consume his insides.

"But we never made it there," he stated as his eyes dropped to the floor, he could not stand making eye contact with Aqua's foster family.

"What do you mean?" Xion inquired as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

She could sense the turmoil within him. He was struggling to find the right words.

"We made a pit stop in Amur. I wanted us to stay there. We were both tired and Doma was still far away. It would have taken us a few more days to get there even with Snow. So we decided to stop there for the night and recuperate," the silver-haired man desperately wanted to sit down but there was nowhere for him to sit, "but they saw us coming."

"They?" Ventus questioned even though he knew who the "they" Riku spoke of were.

"I guess the Seer Sages were tracking her…when we got to Amur the Dark Knights were there as if they were waiting on us…they knew we were coming and they were ready for us," the dark keyblade master continued as his hands clenched tightly at his sides until his hands began to hurt.

"I didn't think they would have caught onto her so fast. I never would have guessed that they would have been tracking her potential movements and future that quickly. They never operate that swiftly," Riku rambled as he shook his head back and forth.

"Riku, what happened in Amur?" Ventus pleaded frantically as he gripped Riku's shoulders.

He was moments away from shaking him. Ventus just knew Riku was about to tell him that Aqua was dead, that the dark knights had killed her…

"They took her. Terra took her. They didn't want me, they only wanted her. I don't know why they wanted her so badly, all I know is that they were bound and determined to take her," the young man with icy eyes said as he unwillingly glanced up at Ventus "I fought for her. I fought Vanitas and Saix as long as I could but I could not stop Terra from going after her. They knocked me out and when I came to I was in some elder couple's home and she was long gone."

"Ventus we have to go after her!" Xion cried.

"That is why I came here. If we are going to help her we need to all work together. I…I can't help her on my own…" Riku timidly admitted.

_I don't know if we can help her even if we do work together_, Riku thought inwardly.

"How can we help her?" Ventus asked vacantly as he crouched down onto the floor and grabbed fistfuls of his hair, "they could have taken her anywhere…she may not even be alive anymore!"

"That is why we need to get out there and find out," the silver-haired visitor countered.

"Where do we even look Riku?" Ventus snapped as he straightened his posture.

"Everywhere," Riku answered with an oblivious shrug.

"Someone somewhere has to know something," Namine chimed in delicately, "we can start in Amur and follow the clues from there."

"I hate to be the one to mention it but sometimes they put up lists of people awaiting executions throughout the towns…" Xion remarked as she glanced at her older brother, "if we find her name on the list…we would know if she was alive or not…or if she is awaiting execution or…"

"Or she could be executed already," Ventus said coldly, "If she is already dead then she won't be on the execution posts."

"Do you have a better idea?" Xion yelled at her older sibling.

"Look, we need to assume that she is alive," Riku interrupted the argument, "I suggest that we listen to Namine. We should start at Amur and try to track her from there. We will just have to start marking off the places that she isn't. It may take a while before we get any kind of solid lead but I am willing to do whatever it takes and I know that all of you are too."

"We will search forever if we have to," Ventus nobly announced, "I just don't…I couldn't stand the thought of her being dead…of her being dead already…I just…I didn't want to find her like that…if she is gone forever…I guess I didn't want to know…"

"Ven…" Namine whispered as she hugged her brother's arm.

"None of us want to think about that. I don't want to learn that she has been killed either but we have to try. She needs us. She would do the same for any of us," the raven-haired keyblade wielder said confidently.

"So it's decided then?" Riku added with a bit more enthusiasm.

"Yes," Ventus said with newfound determination, "we will leave for Amur in the morning."

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! Ok friendly reminder time! Again I want to remind everyone that this is an alternate universe story so characters are going to be different. I have placed them in another world and in different situations and it will affect the way the characters act, their personalities, and the way they interact with one another. I try to keep them somewhat in character,but I do have a weird vision for this story. I know this chapter was a bit slow, but some things had to be established. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter anyway! Thanks again for reading!**_


	9. What Is and What Should Never Be

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy

**Chapter 9 **

**What Is and What Should Never Be**

"Do we have to?" Terra groaned as he stood inside the massive Grand Hall before his monarchs.

"Yes. If Aqua has a successful rehabilitation and becomes one of us she will be expected to attend such events just as everyone else is," Xehanort answered as he slouched in his gigantic throne of black metal and extravagant ruby cushions.

The young knight subtly rolled his eyes that contained only the deepest hues of blue.

"Aqua has performed commendably over the past few months as have you as her caretaker," the elderly sovereign added courteously.

Terra wanted to laugh when Lord Xehanort called him her caretaker.

_I am not a caretaker. I am more like a rabid watchdog…_

"Think of tonight's Fall Banquet as a break or a reward," the bald Overlord attempted again to break through Terra's unwavering resentment.

Xehanort was not making the Dark Knight any more willing. Terra did not want to go to this banquet or ball or whatever it was. He did not care if it was a "break", he did not want to attend.

"This is also a test for Aqua," Lord Ansem announced as he watched the young captain squirm in displeasure before them.

Terra's dark brow rose in suspicion.

"Tonight will be a great opportunity to examine her progress," Xemnas stated as he glanced across the thrones at Ansem, "keep a close eye on her and continue to inform us of her activity."

"Yes. This will be an excellent chance to see how she will react in a different setting," Xehanort agreed with a nod.

"Are you asking me to be more lenient with her?" the youthful warrior inquired.

_Because I have already kind of been doing that…_Terra added inwardly.

"Indeed. Tonight is a somewhat informal setting for all of you. Do not let her do anything she shouldn't, but allow her to attend and socialize as anyone else would," Lord Xemnas explained before casually resting his foot on one of his knees.

These social gatherings were intended to be for everyone's benefit. They were supposed to give Dark Knights, Seer Sages, standard guards, or any other servant of The Dark Rule a chance to unwind and socialize with civilians as well as each other. It was supposed to take the edge off and keep all of them happy and sane. The events were also great opportunities for The Overlords to show off their immense wealth and their talented protégé in a casual setting.

The bronze keyblade master hated banquets and the Fall Banquet was no exception. It signified the end of summer and the beginning of fall, not that Terra gave a fuck.

For Terra, the banquets and balls were excuses for him to get as drunk as humanly possible. He would drink so much that he would not have to remember it the next morning. The intense hangover was worth it to him, unless he found a female companion to make the night worthwhile. If he brought a girl back to his room he could not be too drunk, he had a reputation to uphold.

However, tonight he cannot do either of those things. He couldn't get laid because of Blue and he couldn't get wasted to the point of amnesia because of Blue. Terra had to watch her.

The chocolate haired man took a deep breath and gently exhaled through his nostrils to calm himself.

"You have the rest of the day off Terra. You are dismissed," Lord Xehanort declared as he placed his willowy hands underneath his bearded chin.

"Yes, my Lord," Terra submitted as he bowed before turning to exit.

Once the dusky male was out of the Grand Hall his façade fell. His emotionless expression immediately turned into a discontented scowl.

He had to get Aqua. She had to get ready for the shit fest tonight. Terra did not care if Luxord objected to her lesson being cut short; he was not leaving without her. The knight refused to make two trips and he was not going to wait around all day for Blue.

Terra stomped down the hall in a heated frenzy. His cape rolled and surged behind him from his blistering pace.

A male servant carrying a tray full of pitchers and elegant cups for the banquet did not get out of the heated warriors path quick enough and was swiftly barreled through and catapulted into a nearby wall. The dinnerware did not break or fall but it did shuffle and clink together from the collision.

"Excuse me Master Terra," the man apologized although the crash was not his fault.

The captain did not respond, he only continued his rapid trek down the blood-red hallways lined with lovely floral designs, Dark Realm tapestries, and legendary weaponry.

Upon reaching Luxord's study within the palace, Terra began to punish the door with his metal fist.

"It's open," Luxord's sleek voice replied from inside the office.

Steel-plated hands grasped the doorknob and slung the door open.

Roxas and Demyx were in the study along with Aqua and Luxord.

That was another reason Terra hated banquets. Everyone was home and everyone was buzzing around with vast amounts of displaced excitement.

The high-ranking knight replaced the oversized door with his body and planted his arms on both sides of the doorway and stared inside the room.

Either this was the most laid back lesson Terra had ever seen or everyone inside this room was simply goofing off.

Aqua was giggling and chatting with Roxas while Demyx sat in one of the enormous mahogany armchairs playing his sitar.

"Hi, Terra," Roxas called from his perch on one of the many desks within the room while Aqua was seated sophisticatedly next to him.

The azure maidens eyes left Roxas and wandered across the room to Terra's large form. Aqua shifted on the desk and gave him a faint smile as her eyes uncomfortably drifted to the lush crimson carpet of the study.

The Child of Light still didn't like looking directly at him for prolonged periods of time, but she would offer him small smiles now. The elfin smiles had become the highlight of Terra's days. He looked forward to them each day and found himself disappointed if he did not receive at least one from her.

_She has a beautiful smile,_ the young keyblade master thought privately.

Aqua did not beam at Terra as she did at Roxas, but Terra was happy to receive any form of smile from her. He was not picky. It was still a vast improvement over the dirty looks she used to give him.

"What are you two doing here?" the brunette questioned as he glanced back and forth between the intruders.

"We were bored and we decided we wanted to see what Aqua was learning today," Demyx answered as he began to tune one of the sitar's strings.

"I am sure you two need the lessons more than she does," Terra smirked.

Roxas pretended to laugh while Luxord actually chuckled at Terra's remark.

"I can tell you are all extremely busy," the bronze knight continued sarcastically as he noticed a stack of Luxord's cards sitting between Aqua and Roxas, "but Blue has to come with me. She is done for the day."

Terra still refused to call Aqua by her real name even though she had been with them for months. It was too personal…it was unprofessional. At first he called her Blue because he didn't know her name. It was just the first thing that came to mind when he looked at her, but now that he knew her name he continued to call her Blue out of habit and impudence.

"Can we play one more game?" the dual keyblade master asked as he began shuffling the deck of cards.

Aqua glanced at Terra as they awaited his answer. Ironclad fingertips impatiently drummed on each door frame.

He could say yes. He could allow her to play with Roxas but he didn't really want her to. The man with navy eyes did not like the way she beamed at Roxas. He did not like how they played together. How carefree she was with him. He wasn't jealous…he was just…vigilant…

"No. We need to go," Terra replied as his fingertips continued to tap the wood of the doorway.

The cerulean young woman nodded and slid gracefully off the desk she and Roxas were sitting on.

"Oh come on Terra! Don't be such a party pooper!" Demyx teased as he continued to strum his instrument.

Aqua giggled into her porcelain hands.

_Her laugh isn't half bad either, _Terra mused confidentially.

The head knight did not respond to the ridicule, instead he released the doorway and snapped his fingers for his responsibility to follow him.

"Bring her back tomorrow," Luxord reminded Terra as he took Aqua's place next to Roxas.

Again, the earthen warrior did not reply.

"So where are you dragging me off to now?" Aqua inquired as they marched down the hallway.

The azure female ran her fingers through the bangs that framed her face as she followed her sullen warden.

"I am taking you to Larxene," Terra said as they walked past the many servants and housekeepers that were preparing the palace for the night's festivities.

"Why?" she asked as she watched the workers scurry around carrying food, dinnerware, and large floral arrangements.

"Tonight is the Fall Banquet and you have been asked to attend," the dark keyblade master responded in a deadpan tone as he glanced over his shoulder at Aqua.

"I figured something was up the way everyone is running around here today," the aquamarine female stated as she looked directly at Terra.

They held each other's gaze for a moment. His eyes mesmerized Aqua just like they did the first time their eyes met. They were the most unusual shade of blue. She could not think of another person with eyes quite like his. Their endless blue sucked her right in. She felt as though she would drown in their deep midnight blue depths if she peered at them for too long.

Aqua licked her suddenly dry lips as her cheeks subtly began to flush. Her cobalt eyes ripped away from his smoldering gaze as her face continued to heat up. She held her head down so that her sapphire tresses would hide her growing blush.

Something about inspecting his eyes always embarrassed her. She always resented herself for looking at him for too long. It was something she consistently tried to avoid. It did not matter how long she was here in Hollow Bastion or how much time she spent with Terra, she still did not like regarding him…

The sound of the Dark Knight banging on Larxene's door brought Aqua out of her turbulent and slightly confusing thoughts.

"Dress!" the earthen male called in an irritated tone as he continued to assault Larxene's door.

Aqua loved how to the point Terra was, it amused her to watch him do things he did not enjoy doing.

"I'm working on it!" the seeress snapped from inside the bedroom.

The knight rolled his eyes and glanced at Aqua who had an amused look on her ethereal face.

"What?" he asked genuinely in a gentle tone.

Aqua chuckled.

"You are just _so_ blunt," she laughed a bit more, "it's just kind of funny."

Terra smirked as he watched her simple enjoyment.

Larxene opened her door and hurled a white garment at Aqua.

"Don't you have something…warmer?" Terra questioned as he noticed the sheer, thin fabric of the formal clothing.

"Nope. It is this or nothing. I don't exactly have a lot of clothes in her size. She is too skinny for most of my clothes," Larxene hissed as she eyeballed Aqua's petite figure.

_I'm not __**that**__ skinny. I am just not as…voluptuous as you, _the cerulean keyblade wielder rebuked.

"Fine," the young captain of the Dark Knights replied as he started to walk down the hallway.

"I can get you a jacket or a shawl or something," Terra offered as soon as they were far enough away from Larxene.

The young man did not want Aqua to freeze. It was almost time for her to receive her monthly dose of magic suppressant and he knew that her body temperature could drop dramatically.

"No. I should be ok. The suppressant doesn't bother me like it use to. I mean I still get cold but it isn't like it was a first," she rambled as she held the dress out in front of her, "I only get a bit colder than my normal body temperature. You know, without the suppressant."

The injection made Aqua a lot warmer than she would be normally. Blizzard was Aqua's element and it affected her physically. It was the first spell she ever conjured it came naturally to her just like breathing.

Eraqus had told her that she could learn many other spells but Blizzard would always be her element. It was what made her skin naturally yet slightly chilled. The strong connection she had to her element made her body constantly aware of her powers. It was as if her body was always ready to conjure Blizzard at any moment…at least it use to be. Aqua could even lower her body temperature to even more unnatural lows to summon even more powerful renditions of the spell…at least she use to.

She glanced over at Terra. His element was earth. She often wondered if that was what made him so stubborn.

"Can I dress myself or will I have to be violated again like I was before the dinner they had shortly after I got here," Aqua grumbled as she held the dress over her frame.

"The maids will come to my room to dress you. You will only be violated if you misbehave," the knight replied as he desperately wrestled with his guilt.

He did not want to feel guilty. He couldn't feel guilty. It was supposed to be against his nature. Dark Knights were not supposed to regret or feel guilty about anything! But he was guilty. He could not help it. He felt moderately guilty for how he treated her that night…

"Will I always have to wear white?" the blue girl inquired, "I mean I don't have a problem with white I love white, but do I always have to wear it?"

"Probably. It is to show everyone that you are being rehabilitated and that you are a Child of Light. It is a statement," Terra retorted with a shrug.

Aqua sighed softly as she peered at the bleached garment, "Oh well."

* * *

Everything was beginning to feel a bit too much like déjà vu. Terra had not thought of his dream much since he had it a little over a month ago, but this banquet was causing dormant memories to resurface.

As he stood in the hallway waiting for the housemaids to finish dressing and prepping Aqua for the evening, his mind kept wandering. The knight was even dressed the same as he had been in his dream. He was in his black suit with a loose, white button up shirt underneath it. The shirt was not buttoned at the top, revealing the top of Terra's muscular chest.

Terra was not one for ties. Getting him in a suit at all was an amazing feat.

The unarmored knight leaned against one of the walls of the hallway and pulled back the bottom of his tuxedo jacket before placing his hands in his pockets.

"She is ready," one of the female servants, announced as she left Terra's room and entered the hallway, "she was hardly any trouble at all this time."

Terra bobbed his head in approval as he watched the maids leave his room one by one. Navy eyes watched the doorway intently as he waited for the blue maiden to appear. After the last housekeeper exited the room, Aqua emerged and entered the vermillion hallway.

Her flawless face was tinted pink and her body was adorned in a short sleeveless white dress. The dress was heart-shaped at the top around her breasts and hung loosely on her supple curves. The neck of the garment was made of intricate lace designs that covered the upper portion of Aqua's chest and elegant neck. The sheer lace wrapped snugly around her neck and coated her inner shoulders, modestly covering her upper body after the garment itself ceased.

"You look nice," Terra complimented calmly as he watched her exquisite features.

Aqua's hair was left down this time. The maids did not pull her hair into a bun on the back of her head; instead they allowed the watery locks flow freely around her.

"My hair is a mess they couldn't do a thing with it I-," Aqua complained as she ran her slender, ivory fingers through her wavy, sapphire tresses before her cobalt eyes widened as his words sunk in.

The Light keyblade wielder froze.

"Did you just compliment me?" she asked skeptically as she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

Terra shrugged, "I guess. Make of it what you want."

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway," Aqua replied nervously as she folded her hands in front of her.

"Ready?" he asked as he removed himself from the wall.

"Mm hmm," the sapphire female hummed as she took a few steps toward him, "are you?"

"Fuck no," Terra complained gruffly as they began walking down the lengthy corridors.

"Are they that bad?" Aqua questioned as she followed the young man.

The emotionless young man exhaled harshly, "to me they are."

After a few twists and turns they arrived at the colossal doors of the ballroom. Aqua had never been to this part of the palace before and she began to twiddle her fingers.

Terra grinned faintly before he mimicked a gentleman and offered Aqua his arm.

The young keyblade wielder hesitated and stared at the extended appendage. Anxiously, she continued to fidget with her fingertips as she weighed her options. The roar of the crowd inside the building was growing louder and people were passing them and entering the extravagant ballroom.

"I won't bite," the off duty captain stated as he waited for Aqua to make her decision.

_Unless you want me to_, he thought before mentally slapping himself across the face for such an absurd notion.

The watery female sighed deeply as she took his strong-arm in defeat.

"Now was that so terrible?" Terra teased as he gravitated toward her.

His sultry breath tickled at her neck and teased her velvety skin.

Aqua rolled her sparkling eyes, "yes."

She had to admit she liked Terra better this way. The cloth of his tuxedo was much more comforting than the harsh armor she was use to while they were outside their…his room.

A guard clad in simple onyx armor opened the door for them after Terra nodded for him to do so and Aqua instinctively pulled the dark man closer to her. The dim light within the ballroom violated the girl's eyes as Terra led her into the massive room.

Huge windows lined each side of the gigantic room and stretched to the limitless ceiling. Deep hues of gold, burgundy, silver, and umber blanketed every inch of the tremendous room that was filled to the brim with people. Ornate, overelaborate chandeliers shone with a dull unholy yellow glow.

Aqua was not surprised to see three thrones filled with three monarchs at the head of the room atop a monumental stairwell. The monarchs were seated at the head of the room so they could watch over everyone within the room.

_Just like they have to watch over everything everyone does…_Aqua thought privately.

The floor they walked on was sleek, flawless, and covered in the same burgundy and tawny colors as the hand crafted walls. Everything within the room looked expensive and screamed wealth and prosperity.

Again, the female keyblade wielder noticed that she was the only one wearing white. Once more, she was the sore thumb and the outcast, a lamb amongst the voracious wolves.

Terra escorted the fearful young woman through the sea of faceless unknown people as he inspected the area for a gap.

"Are there always this many people?" Aqua questioned loudly as she was ushered through the countless amounts of individuals.

"Sometimes," Terra called back, "but there are probably more because we haven't had a banquet in a while. Plus you are here."

Aqua's eardrums were being bashed in by the crowd's voices and conversations. Unfortunately she was the subject of many of the conversations.

"Is that her?" "She is lovely." "How bizarre…" "Positively dreadful." "They do look good together don't they?" "Why is he with her?" "Uncivilized heathen." "She will be executed eventually." "I give her another week."

"Thirsty?" Terra's familiar, merciful voice rang in crystal clear despite the overlapping chatter that filled the luxurious room.

"Um, can I have some water?" she asked as Terra leaned forward to listen to her.

He shook his head.

"They only serve wine at these things," Terra replied into her ear.

"That's fine I will just get some water afterwards. I wasn't that thirsty anyway," the ethereal maiden said as she stood on her tiptoes to speak into Terra's ear so he would hear her.

"Suit yourself!" he shouted as he grabbed a glass full of wine off one of the trays a servant was carrying across the room.

Terra was not surprised in the slightest that Aqua did not indulge in alcohol.

"You guys made it!" Roxas called as he pushed through the immense crowd of people.

At the sight of Roxas the earthen male quickly chugged down half of the sparkling water. He was going to need it if he was going to get through his evening.

Terra loved Roxas as a brother. An annoying, childish, overbearing, little bother.

Roxas was a prodigy. He was the first keyblade master that was capable of dual wielding and he was also the youngest Dark Knight in service. Roxas was only sixteen years old and had gone through the ranks almost as swiftly as Terra had. However, things had come much more easily for Roxas than they had for Terra…

Aqua nodded elegantly as she continued to hold onto Terra's powerful arm.

"Want to dance?" the youthful knight asked as he held his hand out for Aqua.

When the older knight heard the question he instantly downed the rest of his champagne.

"If it is alright with Terra?" Aqua suggested as she peered up at her guardian.

"Sure. Whatever. Go," the earthen warrior replied harshly as he tossed his empty glass back onto another tray a servant was towing on his shoulder.

Terra was not shocked that Aqua preferred the Roxas and Demyx over him. They were milder knights and they were not used for the same kind of tasks as he was. They were nice, and nice was not Terra's thing.

The aquamarine keyblade wielder was indecisive even though Terra had voiced his permission. After a moment of contemplation she released his arm and took Roxas's hand as her caretaker picked up another glass of wine.

While Aqua was off dancing with Roxas, Terra continued to down his second glass of bubbly.

"Hitting the booze already eh Terra?" Xigbar goaded as he slapped the Dark Knight's back forcefully.

Terra coughed and hunched forward as his spilled drink trickled off his face and slid through his fingers before splashing onto the ground.

"Where is poppet?" the elder questioned as he glanced around the area for the missing girl.

"She is dancing with Roxas," Terra snapped as he continued wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You just let her run off with Roxas?" Xigbar questioned skeptically.

"Yep," the young man replied coldly.

"Don't let your guard down. She may look like an angel, but she is still an untamed beast," the one-eyed man heeded before he disappeared into the crowd.

"She may look like an angel but she is still a beast!" the almost tipsy knight mocked in an idiotic tone.

Axel laughed loudly as he heard Terra ridicule his elder.

"He thinks I am going soft," the brunette scoffed as he glanced at his red-haired friend.

"You know that is what they do to keep us on our toes. They have done it since we were kids," the jade-eyed knight replied casually.

"I know that but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow," Terra said as he watched Aqua scurry through the crowd.

He raised his hand to get her attention and began inclining his finger, gesturing for her return to him.

The young woman dressed in white subtly smiled when she located the bronze knight.

Before Aqua could reach Terra an undesirable hand gripped her bare arm and slung her backward.

"Don't I get a dance?" Vanitas taunted as he held the cerulean maiden by her arm.

Terra's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. His inner Darkness began to boil as he watched Vanitas violently yank an unsuspecting Aqua towards him. The Darkness overflowed and a physical manifestation of the unholy element emerged within one of his brawny hands.

"Let her go," the earthen keyblade master threatened as he clenched his fist and extinguished the gloomy materialization that had erupted from his hand.

"Yes brother dear," Vanitas ridiculed as he released the innocent girl.

The instant her limb was liberated Aqua rushed to Terra's side as if he could save her.

"What is the matter Aqua?" Vanitas pleaded in mock innocence, "don't you want to dance with me?"

"No," she snapped instantly as she seriously considered grabbing fistfuls of Terra's jacket for comfort…

"Come on. I will behave," the menacing man with golden eyes, stated as he extended a hand for her.

Timidly, Aqua glanced back at Terra who was propped up against a wall with Axel at his side. She wanted him to put an end to this. Her bright cobalt eyes begged him to rescue her from the demon.

"It is not like Terra is going to dance with you. He is too good to dance with anyone," Vanitas jabbed as he took a step toward the girl who was staring attentively at her guardian.

The young captain knew what Aqua wanted. He could read her, but he was not going help her.

_I am not that kind of knight. _

Terra was not going to help her. She could tell by the way he had firmly planted himself against the wall with an emotionless expression on his face.

The indigo female sighed heavily and reluctantly took the hand of the monster.

"Aqua looks nice," Axel pointed out as they watched the duo disappear onto the dance floor.

"She always looks nice," Terra said nonchalantly as he took another slug of his strong drink.

The fiery knight's brow rose at his friend's bizarre statement, "I have just never noticed before. Then again I have not spent time with her like you have."

"Mm," the man with midnight blue eyes grumbled before taking another swig of wine.

Dancing with Vanitas was just as unpleasant as Aqua thought it would be. While dancing with Roxas had been fun and carefree, dancing with Vanitas was rough and forceful. He threw her around the dance floor as he harshly led her in the directions that he wanted.

"I think you will make it to…January," Vanitas mentioned vaguely as his golden eyes shone with contemplation.

Vanitas wore a jet-black tuxedo with a crimson vest and bloodstained tie around his repulsive throat.

"Excuse me?" the sapphire girl inquired as she struggled to keep up with Vanitas's unnatural pace.

"I think you will be executed in January. You will not have a successful rehabilitation I know that. Everyone knows that," he said smugly.

Aqua did not reply, she simply let go of the vermillion monstrosity.

"Oh Aqua don't be so sensitive!" he called after her as she bumped and wrestled through the growing crowd.

The young woman was beginning to understand why Terra hated these things.

The night continued like that for countless hours. Dark Knights, seers, Elders, and even High Elders would ask Aqua to dance and she would be forced to comply. To make matters worse Terra was not helping her. The knight just stood next to the wall conversing with Axel and Roxas while he got drunk.

The indigo woman had, had enough. She had reached her limit and she needed to get out of the suffocating room. Aqua forced her way through the endless amounts of people.

Honestly, she did not know where she was going. She supposed she would know when she got there.

The bronze warrior was good and tipsy but he still noticed Aqua exiting the ballroom. Terra sighed heavily and finally disconnected himself from the wall with intricate jutting designs before he casually followed his charge out of the ballroom.

Graceful feet carried Aqua much further than she had originally anticipated. They had carried her through the empty town within the capital until she ended up in the outer gardens of Hollow Bastion.

The outer gardens were different from the gardens that were closer to Tarnen Palace. These gardens marked the outskirts of The Dark Capital. That was probably why her feet had carried her here. They knew that freedom was beyond this point.

Cobalt eyes stared longingly at the black gateway that lied at the end of the gardens. The gloomy gate was chained tightly shut with guards on each side of it. Stone columns covered in vines and moss stood on each side of the obstacle that stood between Aqua and unattainable deliverance.

The sound of voices entered the garden and the blue-haired girl gasped and hurriedly hid behind the unusual structure that stood in the center of the garden's focal fountain. She quickly sat on one of the steps that were imbedded within the bizarre fountain centerpiece.

"I do not understand why everyone is so infatuated with her!" Aqua heard Larxene wail, "They all act like she is the most interesting thing that has been here in years!"

"Well she kind of is," one of the girls with the seeress replied matter of factly.

"It is just because she is unusual looking. Once the new wears off they will get bored with her," another female voice stated, "plus she is a Child of Light. Men love that whole innocent thing."

"It is just an act. If that girl is sharing a bed with Terra she is not innocent. Terra would make damn sure of that," Larxene replied complacently.

"Terra is just as infatuated as everyone else is," one of the unknown voices spoke again.

"That is all it is. Infatuation. It is not like he actually cares about her," the other woman said.

"How could he? She may be exotic but she is ugly as sin," Larxene stated bluntly.

Terra stood within the shadows the entryway that led back to town and listened to Larxene and her friends condemn and rip Aqua apart verbally. He knew Aqua was listening to them and that she could hear every insult. The warrior had followed her out here. Larxene and the others had just happened to come to the same area as Aqua.

After what seemed like ages the blonde seeress and her minions finally left the area. Once the women were out of sight Terra emerged from the shadows and strolled through the outer gardens in search of Aqua.

When Terra passed the center fountain he saw Aqua embedded within one of its walls on top of a small stairwell. He did not speak to her but he did walk through the shallow water and stood next to her crumpled form.

"Have you come to make fun of me too?" she asked flatly but her head did not rise. Her feelings were hurt.

Despite the Fall Banquet, Terra had actually managed to get into a pretty good mood with the help of several glasses of wine. He had even taken one of the champagne bottles with him before he left. The knight wanted to take some with him while he searched for Aqua.

"Nah," he responded playfully before taking a small gulp out of the wine bottle.

Aqua was not amused, she continued to hold her head down and trace her fingertips though the water that surrounded them. The cerulean girl was actually starting to freeze the top layer of water. It was a miniscule display of magic, one that Terra was choosing to ignore.

"For the record I don't think your _that _ugly," Terra, announced as he took a seat next to the icy maiden.

"Gee thanks," she cried sarcastically as the water she was attempting to freeze instantly melted.

"How was your evening? Was it as bad as you thought it would be?" Aqua inquired as she glanced over her shoulder at her caretaker.

"It could have been worse, but it could have been better. I usually get laid at these things…" he said dismissively as he scratched the back of his neck.

Terra was just drunk enough to reveal unnecessary amounts of information.

"Oh well I am sorry that I am preventing you from getting lucky," the sapphire keyblade wielder actually teased playfully as she gently nudged his foot with hers.

"It's no big deal I usually…" Terra's voice snagged in his throat.

"Did you just make a joke?" he rapidly questioned as he turned to face her.

Aqua has never joked with him before.

"Hmm," she puzzled as she glanced at moon that shone of the water's rippling surface, "I guess I did."

Terra nodded and took another small sip of his champagne before he offered the bottle to Aqua.

The cobalt-eyed maiden did not want to drink any of it…but she didn't want to look too much like a goody-goody either…

Aqua hesitantly grabbed the bottle and took the smallest sip of the bubbling water that she could. It was more of an act than an actually drink. She turned the bottle up and allowed the fluid to touch her lips and her taste buds before she quickly lowered the bottle and handed it back to Terra. The sip was so small she didn't even have to swallow.

The Dark Knight laughed. He knew she wouldn't actually drink any of it but it amused him that she pretended to try some anyway.

"What?" the girl questioned as Terra rose to his feet.

"Nothing," he chuckled some more, "let's go back. I am exhausted."

The youthful captain extended his hand for her and Aqua sighed as she regarded the invitation. She was skeptical, just like she always was when Terra offered her anything.

She mulled it over as she chewed on her glossy bottom lip. Meek azure eyes traveled up Terra's body to his face. He looked so sincere. Not an inch of dark armor coated his body. The pale moonlight caressed his strong handsome features as his navy blue eyes watched her earnestly.

Her porcelain hand hesitated in midair before she lifelessly placed her limp hand within his bare larger one, his hand was warm and shockingly soft. Aqua had felt his skin innumerable times but she had never felt it on her hand. His snug fingertips tenderly wrapped around her appendage as he lifted her to her feet. She did not envelop her fingers around his big hand, but she did allow him to hold hers, which was more than she had permitted in the past. The physical connection was rapidly severed the instant Aqua was lifted to her feet.

The couple did not converse after that. The trek back to the room they shared was filled with a peaceful, contented silence.

Once they got back to the room and prepared for bed, Aqua could not get comfortable within the massive canopy bed. The girl with sky blue eyes tossed and turned and wrestled with Terra until he was about to lose his temper.

"Aqua! Stop it!" he howled as her smooth legs continuously kicked and knocked into his.

_Son of a bitch! I just called her Aqua. I must be drunker than I thought…_

"I can't help it!" she complained as she grabbed his arms and began rearranging them.

_Good. She didn't notice my slip up. _

The sapphire female restlessly tugged at his arm that usually rested underneath his head.

"I don't know what you are wanting me to do!" Terra roared as he yanked his arm away from her and slung his arms and legs in the air in frustration, causing his blankets to ripple and fly off their bodies.

"Here!" she shouted as she shoved his arm back down and swiftly laid her head down on the pillow she created out of the underside of his sizable bicep.

The young man's breath hitched as he felt her laying her head on his arm and molding into his side. He was afraid to breath. Terra knew if he did he would frighten her and she would scamper off of his chest.

The dark keyblade master slowly exhaled and gingerly rested his hand on the curve of her back. Aqua did not object. She only closed her eyes and began drifting off to sleep.

She had surprised him, again. He was positive he would never understand her or her thought process. One moment she hated his guts and the next she was joking with him and willingly facing him in bed.

_Maybe she is bipolar..._

Even though Aqua had fallen to sleep, Terra was wide awake. His mind was racing and he couldn't understand why. Suddenly he was completely sober and that cruel feeling was sprouting in his chest once again.

Apprehensively the warrior glanced down at the girl who had fallen asleep at his side.

What happened next was something that he had absolutely no control over.

Terra reached out for her and lightly brushed her indigo tresses out of her pure face with the back of his fingers. His callused war ridden fingers stroked the milky skin of her pink cheek. The back of his fingers skimmed over the flawless skin that made up the side of her angelic face.

He sighed heavily as his hand continued to caress the exposed side of her countenance with his palm. Gently, he placed his corrupt hand on her cheek while his thumb tenderly wandered over her plump lips.

Her luscious lips had hypnotized him. Aqua exhaled softly and the beautiful petals that created her lips parted. Terra's gloomy heart sank into the very pit of his stomach. Aqua's cool breath licked over his thumb and Terra fell even farther into his hypnotic trance.

The Light angel's mouth was beckoning him. It called for his attention as his thumb continued to stroke the supple texture of her lips. Chilled breath seduced him and cried for the warmth that Terra knew only he could provide.

His hand slipped down to her regal chin and leniently angled her head upward. The knight's eyes began to close as he leaned toward her. Terra's tainted lips began to close in on hers but he hesitated.

The trance shattered into billions of tiny microscopic pieces.

Although the trance had been broken, Terra did not release Aqua's face.

He liked her this way. When she was asleep she did not glare at him. She did not recent him and he could not see the hatred that she felt for him behind her cobalt eyes.

The young man gave her perfect face one more chaste caress before he detached himself from her.

Terra ran his free hand through his thick, brown hair.

_I am in trouble._

* * *

Sora carelessly played with the slop that was mounted on his tray.

"I know it is vile, but you should at least try to eat something," Sora's Master Yen Sid suggested.

The brown-haired keyblade wielder was not hungry.

"It is not that bad once you get use to it," Master Eraqus mentioned as he attempted to eat some of the rubbish the prison guards had the nerve to call food.

"I'm just not hungry," Sora replied as she shoved the tray across the dreary gray table.

The young inmate had not had much of an appetite since he and Master Yen Sid had bumped into Master Eraqus within the mess hall. Sora had learned that Eraqus and…Kairi had been Purged.

After learning about Kairi's Purge, Sora had been spending even more time in solitary confinement as a result of looking for ways to escape the deplorable prison. He had been hunting for ways out before he learned of Kairi's Purge but now Sora was down right frantic. Sora was not longer trying to escape for himself and his master, now Sora was escaping so that he could save Kairi.

The mess hall quieted as Ansem and Saix entered the room with a hooded girl following closely behind them.

She wore a tight, long sleeve black dress that only reached her knees while a loose, oversized hood hid her mysterious features.

Sora's eyes narrowed. He had seen the girl drifting through the correction facility before. She was permitted to roam the prison at will. The hooded girl was not a regular prisoner. The Overlords and the Dark Knights allowed her to wander freely throughout the prison.

The keyblade wielder wanted to talk to her. If he could convince her to be his ally he might be able to get out of this jail. While he was in solidary confinement she could continue to search the detention center since she was allowed to come and go as she pleased.

It was not a very well thought out plan but Sora did not have time to be thorough. Kairi needed him and at that moment that was all that mattered to him.

As soon as Ansem and Saix left the girl seated at a lone table with a tray full of _regular _food Sora made his move to the other side of the dining hall.

The spirited prisoner took a seat next to the hooded girl but she did not move.

_Something may be wrong with her…_Sora thought as he tried to peer into her shadowy hood.

The girl held her head down as she stared blankly at her food and painfully familiar locks of ruby-red fell out from beneath the ebony hood.

Sora gasped as his whole body began to shutter.

_No! It can't be! _

"Kairi?" Sora called skeptically as he grabbed the redhead by her petite shoulders and turned her to face him.

The inky hood fell off her head, revealing a very pale and disoriented Kairi.

"Kairi!" the young man cried as he gently cupped her face and looked at her with concerned azure eyes.

Something was wrong. Something was _very_ wrong. Kairi's dazzling eyes were dull and her pupil's were dilated to the point that her eyes barely looked blue at all. Her bleached mouth fell in a lifeless line as her brow crinkled in confusion.

"Let. Go," she said blankly but made no effort to remove Sora's hands herself.

"Kairi it's me. It' Sora," he pleaded desperately as he pulled his now scruffy and unruly hair out of his face.

His hair had grown a bit longer during his time as a prisoner but he did not think that it made him look _that_ much different.

"Sora?" Kairi asked doubtfully as she weakly pulled her face out of his caring hands.

"Kairi, what is wrong?" Sora desperately tried to get some form of reaction from her.

The once fiery, vivacious girl sat emotionlessly before him.

"Kairi!" he shouted as he shook her shoulders, "What's the matter? Don't you remember me?"

"No…I don't…I don't…know…know…you," she stuttered as she feverishly thrashed her head back and forth.

"Kairi it is me! We have grown up together" Sora was doing all he knew to do.

How could she forget him? How could she forget all they had been through together?

"No. I don't know a Sora. I…have…never…seen…you before," Kairi rambled as she began pushing Sora away from her with frail hands.

"Oh Kairi what did they do to you?" the brunette cried as he enveloped Kairi in his arms and held her.

"No! No! No! NOOOO!" the mystified girl screamed as she writhed and jerked inside his arms.

Sora hopelessly tried to hold onto his dear friend even though she was violently assaulting and bludgeoning him with every ounce of her fleeting strength.

"No Kairi…please…please…" Sora pleaded as he placed his head on hers and squeezed his stinging blue eyes shut, "don't…don't…"

He could feel her feeble hits and kicks but they did not hurt. Nothing compared to the extreme anguish that he felt on the inside.

"Help me!" she screamed as loud as she could, but Sora would not let her go. He would never let her go.

"What is going on here?" Ansem shouted as he approached the brown-haired prisoner and a hysterical Kairi.

"I was about to ask you the same thing! What did you do to her?" the skilled keyblade wielder yelled as he attempted to console his unhinged friend.

"Master!" Kairi sobbed as she ripped herself from Sora's embrace and ran to Ansem who awaited her with open arms.

_What the…!_

"Boy I do not know what you are talking about," the sinister Overlord replied as he put one of his villainous hands on top of Kairi's head.

"You have brainwashed her!" the male keyblade wielder screeched as he rose to his feet and pointed at the vicious monarch.

"That is ridiculous. Kairi? Do you even know who this young man is?" Ansem asked the muddled girl with mock kindness.

Kairi frantically shook her head no as she clung to Ansem's side.

"See boy. She doesn't even know you. You must have mistaken her for someone else," the destructive sovereign explained as he roughly ran his gloved fingers through Kairi's cherry tresses.

"No! I just heard you call her Kairi!" Sora challenged as he was suddenly shackled and viciously shoved to his knees by Saix.

"So I did," Ansem said as his orange eyes gazed at the tall ceiling, "then allow me to put it this way."

The Overlord removed Kairi from his side and approached Sora, "You have mistaken her for _your _Kairi and _your _Kairi is long gone."

**_A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_**


	10. Sweet Troubled Souls

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

_Here it comes _

_The unavoidable sun_

_Of what's just happened _

_And what's been done _

_And you know _

_I don't remember a thing _

_I don't remember _

_A thing _

_But it keeps on coming and I stop _

_But it keeps on coming and I just stand still _

_But it keeps coming and I stop moving _

_But it keeps coming, it keeps coming, it keeps coming_

_-The Sun, The Naked and Famous _

**Chapter 10**

**Sweet Troubled Souls**

"_No. You are still doing it wrong," Sora complains as he slams his head on the desk in frustration._

"_I am not! That spell was perfect!" Kairi argues as she glances at her hands before she adjusts her black and yellow wristbands, "I can feel it working!" _

_The brown-haired boy is getting annoyed. For the past hour he and Kairi have been arguing about her Regen spell. Sora is convinced that she is just casting a prolonged version of Cure instead of actually casting Regen._

_Regen is supposed to be a continuation of Cure. The spell is meant to gradually heal a subject over time even after the spell has been cast. _

"_It is wrong. I don't know what kind of weird, hybrid Cure spell you are conjuring but it is not Regen," the young keyblade wielder grumbles against the wood of the desk they sit at. _

_Kairi has an unusual tendency to make up her own versions of spells. She often mixes similar spells together to create her own unique type of magic. The Kairi spells are usually more powerful than the original, but it does not change the fact that the spell is not correct. _

"_Maybe you just don't know what you are talking about," the redhead remarks arrogantly as the blinding, white light of Cure dances along her slim fingers. _

"_Maybe you just aren't as good as you think you are," Sora challenges as he raises his head and blows his coffee-colored bangs out of his face. _

_The fourteen-year-old girl is a wonder. She is a magic whiz and has already gained specialized keyblade abilities, but she still has a lot to learn. Kairi often gets arrogant due to her natural gifts. Sora does not deny that she is exceptional; he just thinks she is capable of making mistakes. _

"_Maybe I should get a new teacher," she huffs. _

_Sora frowns. _

"_Maybe you should!" the youthful instructor flares as he stands up. _

"_Maybe I will!" Kairi bites back as she too rises to her dainty feet. _

_Her lip quivers as she clearly tires not to snivel. _

"_Good! I am tired of teaching you anyway!" Sora lies. _

_He did not mean it; he just lost his cool when she said she wanted a new teacher…_

_Kairi's bright eyes tremble as she exhales sharply and turns on her heels before she sprints out of the room. _

"_Kairi? What is wrong?" Master Yen Sid questions as a flustered Kairi brushes past him and runs out of one of the many studies within the Mysterious Tower, "What did you do to her?" _

"_She was doing a spell incorrectly. I was merely correcting her, but she is too cocky to listen," Sora claims as he crosses his arms and slouches down into the tall green chair with yellow trim. _

"_Kairi is still young. You must be patient with her," Yen Sid says as he uses one of his hands to stroke his long gray beard. _

"_She admires you Sora. She does not want to fail in front of you. You should keep that in mind. You losing your patience with her will not help matters either," the old master continues as he takes Kairi's seat next to Sora. _

_Sora sighs excessively. He knows all these things. It is just hard for him to mediate between being her friend and being her teacher. _

"_I should probably go after her," Sora announces as he stands and heads for the door. _

_Master Yen Sid nods. _

"_Sora," he calls before Sora exits. _

_The student stops as his hand rests on the door's handle. _

"_When you find her tell her she needs to return to The Land of Departure," the bearded man states. _

"_Why? She hasn't even been here that long?" Sora asks rapidly as he turns to face his Master. _

"_I fear that The Overlords are closing in on us," Yen Sid responds solemnly. _

"_How do you even know that?" Sora inquires as his brow furrows. _

"_Purges are being conducted all around us. Almost every city and town in this area has had a Purge over the past few weeks. It is only a matter of time before they come here," the maestro explains as he rubs his eyes in vexation. _

"_Will they…will they come after you?" the blue-eyed pupil hesitantly questions as he looks at his lifelong instructor. _

_Sora knows that Yen Sid served in The Great War and that he was a Denizen of Light. Both of those things frequently result in Purge. There is probably no avoiding it. _

"_Most likely," Master Yen Sid declares without an ounce hesitation _

"_So Kairi does not need to be here when or if they arrive. If they suspect I am teaching her or if she is too gifted they will take her," he continues. _

"_I understand," Sora states blankly as he leaves the room._

_Sora runs though almost every area of Twilight Town but he cannot find Kairi. Once he realizes she is not in town he boards a train at Sunset Station and heads for Sunset Terrace on the other side of town. The young man runs between the yellow and orange buildings and glides over the rusty, brick like cobblestone of the sector. _

_Kairi got a lot farther than Sora had originally anticipated. It took him forever to finally track her down. She had wandered all the way to Sunset Hill, which was one of the many hillsides located by the train tracks. _

_She sits by the fence next to the monument that is designed after Central Station in Twilight Town with her knees brought to her chest. Kairi is wearing her usual attire. Her purple skirt and her white tank top while black outlines around her shirts neckline and arms. A black chocker wraps around her neck while a simple necklace with a teardrop like emblem is also hanging from her delicate neck. _

_Her long ruby locks have grown so long that it almost grazes the sandy, sunset kissed ground she sits on. _

"_Go away," she whimpers as she wipes fresh tears from her rosy cheeks. _

"_I'm not going anywhere," Sora replies gently as he takes a seat behind her and rests his back against the uneven, picket fence. _

"_I thought you didn't want to be my teacher anymore," Kairi mutters in between subtle sobs. _

"_Well you said you wanted a new teacher," he speaks tenderly as he scoots closer to her._

_Sora loves the way the glowing sunset caresses her pearly skin. _

"_I might have been exaggerating," she confesses softly as she peers over her nude shoulder at Sora. _

_The young man smiles and rests his chin on her shoulder._

"_And you aren't tired of teaching me, right?" the girl with cherry colored hair sobs as Sora pulls her into his arms. _

"_Right," he whispers kindly as he lightly sits Kairi across his lap. _

_Instinctively, the girl with shimmering blue eyes lays her head on his shoulder as her legs dangle off his lap. _

_Sora brushes the remaining tears off her cheeks before he reestablishes his embrace around her. _

"_You are still a jerk," the girl who sits in his lap remarks in between sniffs. _

"_And you are still impossible," Sora says with a grin. _

_The brunette leans forward and places his forehead on hers. Their cobalt eyes lock and Kairi giggles softly. _

_Sora pulls away slightly but continues to gaze into her flawless eyes. Kairi's eyes flutter and slightly close as their faces linger inches apart and her lips slightly part. _

_The male keyblade wielder is seriously considering kissing her. It is what both of them want. He knows it is what he wants, but he cannot do it. It does not feel like the right time. Kairi is still very young, and Sora just cannot bring himself to take some of that youthful innocence away just yet. Instead he lifts his head and places a simple kiss on her rosy tresses. _

_Kairi sighs in disappointment and lays her head on his shoulder. _

"_You have to head back home soon," Sora announces since he has clearly already disappointed her. _

"_What? Why?" she asks hurriedly as her head shoots up. _

_Kairi looks at Sora with confused and slightly hurt eyes. _

"_Master Yen Sid thinks there is going to be a Purge here soon and he does not want you here when it happens," the sixteen-year-old male reveals as his eyes fall to the ground. Sora cannot stand it when she looks at him like that. It breaks his heart. _

"_No. I don't want to leave. I don't care if they do come," Kairi whispers as she shakes her head. _

"_Kairi…" he gently chastises. _

"_Sora. What if this is the last time I see you and Master Yen Sid?" the redheaded girl questions solemnly, "I can't leave knowing that this might be the last time I see both of you."_

_The young man has said nothing about this being the last time they will see each other. Kairi has a bit of a sixth sense and he really hopes that this is not her having one of her weird psychic moments..._

"_Who said anything about me being Purged?" Sora questions even though he knows good and damn well that he could be Purged just as easily as Yen Sid. _

"_Don't be stupid Sora," the female keyblade wielder snaps as she gets out of his lap. _

_Kairi may be young but she is far from ignorant. She knows how the world works and she understands the Purge. Kairi lost her parents to a Purge although she does not remember them. Sora thinks it is better that she does not remember her parents or the Purge that took them from her. All Kairi remembers is being raised by her sister, Aqua, and eventually Master Eraqus. Sora has always believed that is what has delivered Kairi from the deep-rooted bitterness that her sister harbors. _

_Aqua was not as fortunate as Kairi. Aqua remembers their parents and their Purge. Her memories did not shroud her heart in Darkness as it did so many others that experienced similar situations, but Aqua was changed by the events. Sora has noticed that Aqua's loathing of The Dark Realm burns differently than Kairi's. _

"_You know they can't take me! I am too talented," Sora lies arrogantly as he stands next to her and places his hands behind his head. _

"_That is what I am afraid of. You __**are**__ too talented," Kairi replied as her glittering eyes dropped to the ground they stood upon, "if they have seen how far you have progressed…" _

"_They won't take me, and I am definitely not letting them take you. So you are going back to The Land of Departure and that is final," the brown-haired young man says a bit more firmly, "don't forget you are just as talented as I am. Maybe even more talented than I am, so you can't stay here." _

"_Sora…" the petite girl groans and closes her eyes. _

"_Don't worry," Sora assures her as he winds his arms around her shoulders and neck. _

_Kairi sighs desolately and wraps her arms underneath his and tightly holds onto his shoulders as she embeds her face in his still maturing chest. _

"_Everything is going to be alright," the young man says gently and he closes his azure eyes and tenderly rests his head on hers. _

"_Here," she says as she pulls away from him and reaches into her pocket. _

"_Take this," Kairi continues as she grabs Sora's hands and places a small object in his palm. _

_Sora's umber brow rises in skepticism before he looks at the trinket she has placed in his hand. It is a cute charm made out of five seashells. The shells are arranged to mimic the shape of a star. They are held together by simple strands of thread. A small crown rests in the center of the amulet and a face is drawn onto the center shell. The shells are yellow at their base but their color changes to pink at their unusual jagged tips. _

"_It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me," the redhead commands strictly as she places her hands on her hips and leans toward him for emphasis. _

_He understood what she was doing. Kairi wanted him to promise to return to her. It was her unique way of asking him to not leave her…to not be Purge. It would be her way of knowing that when she left he would still be there when she came back. If she was going to leave she needed some form of comfort, some insurance, something to give her hope, a promise that they would see each other again. _

"_Don't worry. I will," he assured her as he firmly gasped the precious charm in his hand. _

"_Promise?" she pleads with uneasy yet sparkling eyes. _

"_Promise."_

* * *

The rough, deplorable prison floor scraped Sora's dirty cheek as he squirmed against its surface. The abrasive texture brought him out of his reminisce of the last time he had seen Kairi.

_I was wrong. I had lied to you. Everything wasn't going to be all right, _he mentally scolded himself as he writhed on the damp concrete floor of his cell.

The young inmate had not moved since Saix shackled his hands behind his back and shoved him face first into his cell. His jaw was hurting from when it collided into the stone flooring and he was pretty sure the right side of his face was bleeding but he had made no effort to remove himself from his uncomfortable position. All he could do was replay the last time he had seen _his_ Kairi over and over again in his throbbing head.

Sora groaned as he finally decided to roll onto his back and relieve himself from some of the pain he had been experiencing physically. He puffed out a disgruntled breath as he rotated his body and angled himself halfway onto his back. Due to the restraints on his hands, he was unable to completely lie on his back. Shaggy brown hair compressed to his sweat and grime covered face as he continued to fight for a somewhat comfortable position on the scalding, coarse floor.

The prison was always scorching during the day and bitterly frigid during the night so the structure never maintained a comfortable temperature. Sora was not sure which was worse the unwavering heat of day or the unforgiving cold of night.

He was not sure of his exact location, Terra and the Dark Knights that had brought him there had made sure of that, but he did know he was in the middle of a contemptible wasteland of blazing sand.

Sora coughed and spit out some of the blood that had accumulated in his mouth onto the blackened, sand covered concrete. Saix could have busted out half of his teeth when he threw him to the ground face first, but Sora wasn't really paying attention at the time. He could feel the intense ache that followed the collision, but his mind was so far gone that the torment did not truly register. Now that he was moving and he had finally stopped thinking about the last moments he had with Kairi before the Overlords had contaminated her, he was finally starting to feel physical suffering again.

The young brunette cried aloud in anguish as he opened his mouth and stretched out his aching jaw. After taking several deep preemptive breathes he slid his jaw back and forth as he tried to reset the injured mandible.

_Kairi. What did they do to you? _

Although Sora was experiencing immense amounts of discomfort, he no longer cared about his bodily wellbeing. All he could think about, all he could care about was Kairi and what they had done to her. He knew that The Dark Rule had many diabolical tricks up their foul sleeves, but never in a million years would he have thought of radical brainwashing. No, it wasn't just brainwashing. It was as if they had turned Kairi into a blank slate and they were remolding her into something they found more desirable.

_How did they even take her memory? How did they even turn her into…whatever that was? How is it even possible?_

Kairi hadn't just forgotten Sora. It was as if she had forgotten everything. He was not even sure she even knew her own name, if she knew how to eat, or if she even knew how to take care of herself. He didn't have the chance to ask her or analyze her. They had made sure of that. It was as if Saix couldn't get him away from her quick enough.

_I doubt I will be able to even find her again. They may even relocate her just to keep her out of my reach. Her stay here was probably only temporary anyway. Why would they put her in the same prison as her master, Eraqus? Why would they imprison her here? Master Yen Sid and I are even here. Unless it wasn't about that, maybe they were more afraid of people on the outside finding her. I guess it doesn't really matter if she is in the same jail us. It isn't like we can help her. We can't even help ourselves for Light's sake. _

None of it made sense and the more Sora thought about it, the more his head felt as though an invisible sledgehammer was bombarding it.

* * *

In the upper tier of the Palamecian Desert's prison Ansem, Marluxia, and Saix were discussing how to act now that Sora had discovered Kairi.

"My Lord, I cannot express how sorry I am," Saix pleaded as he fell to his knees before Lord Ansem, "I did not even know that the boy had been released from solitary confinement. If I had know that he was freed I would have never left her alone."

Ansem did not reply. The Dark Overlord only strolled through the warden's quarters with his hands placed regally behind his broad back. He stopped when he reached one of the few windows within the towering detention center. The window did not have glass and was only used to bring faint amounts of air into the stifling penitentiary. Visibility was limited even from their soaring height. The only view the window provided was that of endless amounts of noxious sand and unlimited amounts of feral dunes. No wildlife, no vegetation, no flora, nothing but a barren slaughtered land.

"I will command his relocation at once. He will never lay eyes on her again," the flustered knight continued to implore his master.

Saix quickly removed his helmet as a sign of complete submission. The black helmet with white lifeless eyes and faux facial features clanked onto the ground and rolled to Ansem's unfaltering heels.

Marluxia smirked mischievously and glanced over at Ansem as his gloved hands disappeared into the pockets of his rugged ebony tuxedo jacket.

"Now, now Saix. Let us not get ahead of ourselves," the contemplative monarch said as he continued to watch the whirling sandstorm that transpired around the sinking, towering prison.

Saix's brow furrowed in confusion and the scars that marred the center of his face wrinkled.

"My Lord I am sure I do not understand," the emotionless knight stated as he gazed at Ansem's back in bewilderment.

The scarred warrior could feel the eerily smooth caress of Marluxia's telepathy slithering inside his brain. The tendrils wrapped around his brainstem before they wriggled up into every single wrinkle of his brain. Saix yielded to the invasion for he knew that the satiny caress would turn into a barrage of sharp needle pricks if he resisted it.

"Fear not Saix," Marluxia declared as he straightened his bulky, pale red scarf that strangled his neck and cascaded down the front of his body, "your assumed _failure_ can work to our advantage."

"You are still trying to conquer Sora. Are you not?" the salmon haired seer inquired as he continued to sift through the Dark Knight's cerebrum.

Marluxia already had the answers to the questions he was asking Saix. Questioning the combatant was merely a formality now, the Seer Sage needed his sovereign to hear Saix's replies himself.

"Yes. Breaking him has been a struggle. However the last time Terra was here he did find something that we believe could break him," Saix confessed.

"What did he find?" the powerful male seer asked dully as he secured his fingerless gloves.

"Sora had managed to keep some kind of charm even after he had been stripped and searched countless times," the yellow-eyed knight reluctantly admitted, "Terra said that the charm meant a lot to Sora so Terra took the charm away from him. I do not know where it is now."

"I am sure Terra still has the charm, but its location is not what is important. What is important is that is was valuable to the boy and the meaning behind it," Ansem stated as he glanced over his powerful shoulder at one of his most faithful knights.

"That I do not know…" Saix reluctantly revealed as he held his head down.

"This charm is important to him. Yes?" Marluxia asked as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Yes. Other than his encounter with Kairi, taking it is the only thing that has managed to faze him since he has been here," the Dark Knight replied with a nod.

The manipulative seer smiled smugly, "So the only things that have effected him have involved Kairi and this amulet?"

"That is correct," Saix answered confidently as he continued to kneel before his monarch and the Seer Sage.

"Well then I believe that Kairi will be able to tell us if there is a connection between her and this charm," Marluxia announced.

"What makes you so sure that there is even a connection?" Saix remarked impatiently.

"Let's just say I'm a people person," Marluxia said darkly as he approached the hooded girl who was seated in one of the corners of the warden's office.

Her once bright blue eyes were now almost completely black. Pink lips were white and chapped. Dark circles lingered beneath her desolate eyes and her once creamy skin was white as death.

"Bad color. It's the bad color. It's the bad color. Bad color," Kairi repeated like mantra as she tugged and scratched at the black garment that smothered her fragile body.

The confident Seer Sage fell to his knees before the characterless shell of a girl.

"I know it is sweet pea. I know. I know," Marluxia offered the lifeless girl false, mock solace.

Ansem trudged around the warden's desk and approached Kairi.

"Kairi," the cruel ruler spoke slowly and clearly so the young girl would understand him.

Vacant eyes fluttered and struggled to focus on his face, "Master?"

"This is Marluxia," Ansem informed her as he placed a hand on the seer's shrouded shoulder, "he needs to look at your memories. It will not hurt unless you fight him. You will feel a slight tingling sensation, but it will not cause you pain unless you resist him. Do you understand?"

Kairi nodded even though everyone in the room seriously doubted she had a clue of what was going on around her.

Marluxia gently pulled the gloomy hood from her head and stroked her hair off of her shoulders. He brought his hands up and placed his palms on both sides of her head. The seer held his thumbs securely on each of her temples.

Normally, Marluxia could retrieve memories and thoughts without laying a hand on anyone, but Kairi was a unique case. Her total loss of memory would make her mind harder to probe. The girl still had her memories they were just lost to her. The drugs and narcotics given to her had shoved her memories into the darkest corners of her mind where she could not restore them. They had been scattered and disintegrated into unrecognizable bits.

Kairi winced slightly as she felt the male seer begin filtering through and inspecting her conscious as well as her subconscious. The satin tentacles winded around her brain and pierced down into the tender tissue of her cerebral matter. Every inch of her mind was being breached and encroached in unspeakable ways.

Marluxia's cavernous eyes closed as he plunged deeper into the mangled, chaotic mass that made up Kairi's intelligence, judgment, reasoning, and understanding.

Once the Seer Sage found the knowledge and memories he was seeking, he released her head and retracted the contemptible, velvety tendrils from her violated brain.

Kairi's eyes rolled into the back of her head as her damaged head swam. The desecrated girl's head moved in abnormal ways before she fainted from the unnatural assault. The salmon haired seer caught the limp girl in his arms. He sat next to her and allowed her to rest against his form.

"My assumptions were correct, my Lord," Marluxia proclaimed proudly as he held Kairi in his savage arms, "there is no need to keep Sora and Kairi away from one another."

Saix rose to his feet at the unreasonable theory, "Are you mad Marluxia?"

"Hold your tongue Saix," Ansem scolded harshly, "you have not even heard our plan yet."

The Seer Sages were always kept their masters one step ahead of everyone.

"Kairi is the key to breaking Sora," the seer holding the innocent girl stated, "the charm Sora cherishes was a gift from Kairi. So the real thing Sora holds so dear is actually the girl. Not the charm."

"You see?" The malicious overlord said, "By letting Sora watch Kairi deteriorate before his eyes will destroy him and his unwavering spirit."

"Every day she will forget him and no matter how hard he tries she will never remember him, their relationship, or any memories that they share. Of course, he will try to help her recover he lost memories, but it will be in vain. The _medicine _we give her will always erase whatever memories he manages to revive," Marluxia snickered in absolute delight.

"He will have to start from scratch every single time he interacts with her. Each day he will be forced to watch her fail to remember him and everything he tries to help her recover over and over again. It would be enough to obliterate even to most vivacious of individuals," the deranged seer continued.

"Then Sora will no longer be a problem. His spirit will crack and he will stop trying to escape. While Kairi will be completely reeducated and molded to our liking," Ansem added as he peered at the unconscious girl in Marluxia's arms.

"Sounds good to me. That certainly makes my job a lot easier," Saix declared as he picked up his discarded headgear off the sandy concrete of the office.

"You will inform the _warden_ of our plans," the Dark Overlord demanded as he stood before the obedient knight.

The _warden _was but a figurehead. He made no decisions nor did he have much authority. The pitiful warden was used to carry out tasks. The true warden's were the members of The Court. The warden was but a puppet, and the puppet would merely help carry out the jobs that the Court demanded to be done. All decisions and plans were made within the Palace of Retribution in Hollow Bastion.

"Of course my liege," Saix replied with a flawless bow before he secured the morbid mask like helmet atop his head.

* * *

Terra was not asleep. He was awake. His tanned hand rested on Aqua's sleeping back. Absent-mindedly, his thumb softly rubbed the flesh in between her delicate shoulder blades.

Midnight blue eyes stared blankly at the dust flurries that danced in front of his balcony doors that had been made visible by the harsh rays of morning sun shining through the fancy doors of the balcony.

The Dark Knight was racking his brain to pieces as he tried to figure out where he botched everything up.

When did he actually start caring about the girl who was asleep on his chest? When had their constant squabbles begin to cease? It was all a confusing blur of lessons and countless nights and mornings inside this very room. He could not pinpoint the very moment that everything started to change. All he knew was where he had ended up.

When had he started enjoying her smiles? When did he start caring if she was cold or uncomfortable? No matter how much he thought about it he could not find the answer that he wanted.

Maybe he could not find the answer because it had started happening before he even noticed it. Was it when he held her against him when she had her hypothermic episode in the middle of the night? Was it when he wrapped her wrists with medical tape in the bathroom after their first night together? Was it when he first buried his face in the back of her unblemished neck? Was it when he first smelled her delightful natural aroma of jasmine and lavender that he now found intoxicating?

Maybe it was even before all of that? Was it possible that he had fucked up the instant he looked at her? The first time he laid hands on her in The Land of Departure? Did he fuck up when he let Riku live? Had he fucked up when he picked her up to put her on his Keyblade Glider when they were leaving Amur? Was it when he decided to shield her from the reprehensible wind and elements aboard his glider on their way to Hollow Bastion?

_I don't have a fucking clue…_

He supposed that it did not matter. Not now. It was too late now. The damage was done. What was done could not be undone. He cared about her and he could not change that. He could not change how he felt…he had gotten in too deep and now he was drowning in her. He trekked too far into hazardous waters and now he was reaping the consequences. There was nothing he could do about it.

_How could you be so careless? How could you be so unprofessional?_

Sighing heavily, he glanced down at the white witch that had hexed him. Her gorgeous locks were sprayed all over him while her head rested on his lower torso. She had shifted during the night and had traveled from his bicep to his lower chest. Her head was almost on his stomach.

Terra continued to stroke the smooth skin of her upper back with his thumb as his eyes wandered down her body. One of her exquisite legs was resting between his sturdy ones while her small toes curled and wiggled as she slept or maybe dreamt.

_I wonder what she dreams about. I doubt she dreams of me like I have dreamed of her…_

Her hands do not touch him. They stay tightly clenched as they rest on his side. She made sure of that. Aqua merely tolerated him now. Terra had not earned the privilege of having her hands grace him. For some reason the sapphire woman found it to be too personal. She had accepted a lot of things during her stay here but touching her guardian in that way was not one of them.

Aqua's disfigured wrists were still wrapped in the medical bindings from the day before. The wounds had healed for the most part. All that remained was the bright red discoloration that wrapped around the ruined flesh of her wrists. The young woman did not have to wear the medical tape anymore, but she wore it to hide her shame, her failure. She did not want anyone to see the permanent bracelets Terra had given her.

_Maybe she doesn't want to see them…_

Shortly after accidentally laying on Terra that first night, she had decided that it was not too terrible and it was worth it to get to lie in a different position at night. They still slept in their original sleeping pattern, with Aqua's back to him while he embraced her from behind, but now they had both become much more flexible. Recently, the knight would simply let Aqua decide how she wanted to sleep. Her moods still changed dramatically, as did her tolerance of him, so he chose to let her call the shots when it came to their…positions.

Terra was not sure when the frequent fighting had stopped. They still fought like the mortal enemies they were, but it was not like it was a first. The duo could actually mange to get along for longer periods of time now and the youthful captain could not figure out when or why that had happened either…

Aqua's arm shifted and draped over his powerful torso and dangled lifelessly off of the other side of his body. Her head turned and her parted mouth grazed against his tanned flesh.

It took every ounce of the earthen male's willpower not to hiss in agony when he felt her tender lips scrape at his thermal hide. His navy eyes squeezed shut and every single surging muscle inside his body tensed as his back slightly arched.

_Fuck…_

As the warriors body adjusted, Aqua groaned and moved with her rustling pillow. She was refusing to leave the comforting encasement of sleep.

The dark keyblade master was seriously considering waking her to stop the torment he was starting to receive, but he could just not bring himself to wake her when she was sleeping so well. It was a rare occurrence. Aqua often struggled with sleep within the black sheets of his bed.

_You are doing it again. You are being...what is the word...considerate?_

It was too late though, his movements had disturbed her and he could feel her leaving the confines of slumber. The aquamarine grumbled and her face hid from the blinding sun within his slowly rising chest.

Terra absorbed her every movement as if they were the last things he would ever witness.

_WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!_ He screamed mentally.

Slowly, her head rose and her cheek slid across his upper body so that she could look up at him. Once again the tanned young man could not help himself, he gave her a small smile instead of his usual scowl.

The indigo maiden's mouth twitched but she did not smile. She removed herself from his body and sat up on the lavish bed. Aqua rubbed her weak eyes before she stretched her arms over her head, taking her azure locks with her arms.

The unarmored knight watched helplessly as her stretching showed off her supple curves. The white nightgown she wore was much too thin and it gave Terra a good impression of what she might look like without it on.

_Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. _

For the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was about her that enticed him so. She was a Child of Light for Darkness's sake! There was nothing special about her. Aqua was luminous and plain. She was just a girl, a girl that he had unfortunately gotten stuck with. He did not even want her in the first place! She was annoying, strong-willed, spirited, and feral. Terra should hate her. Aqua was everything that he was supposed to hate. For a while he thought that he did hate her, but he didn't.

Cerulean orbs traveled across the room to the luminous doors that led to his balcony.

"Terra?" Aqua said softly causing a bulky lump to form in Terra's suddenly swollen esophagus.

"Hmm?" he replied as he casually placed his hands behind his head and leaned against his mahogany headboard. The Dark Knight knew it was not much of a reply but he was pretty sure he could not speak with that cumbersome wad lodged in his throat.

"Can I sit out on the balcony for a while before we leave?" the cobalt girl asked delicately as her eyes left the glass doors to peer down at her shirtless guard.

The brunette shrugged, "I see no reason why not."

As soon as the words left his mouth Aqua was on her feet and she was heading out of the dual doors.

Terra's eyebrow rose in uncertainty as he watched her wander out onto the veranda.

The blue-haired female walked to the ledge and sat on the stone railing. She closed her eyes and took a large drag of the fresh air that surrounded her. Aqua listened to the sounds of the countless fountains that filled the grim city.

"Is something wrong?" her male companion questioned genuinely as he rested against the doorway of his patio. He intently watched the solemn look on her radiant face.

The sapphire keyblade wielder's eyes slowly opened and she glanced over at Terra.

"Oh you know, the usual," she stated coldly before she cast her hardened gaze back over the ledge.

The off duty knight was tempted to make a cruel remark, but he resisted the alluring desire to yell at her. He knew what was wrong with her. It was written all over her stunning face. She was a captive here and she was constantly forced to do things she had no yearning to do. Aqua had been taken from her home, her family, and her old life. Now she was living within the Dark Capital and each day she had to endure the rehabilitation process, which was meant to demoralize her and change her entire view on life.

_It is for her own good. She will understand once we get through to her. _

"Will you tell me anything about my sister today?" the Child of Light inquired as she stared out at the marvelous view before them.

Fountains blasted water into the orange morning sky while innumerable, colorful cottage like housetops rolled throughout the ground and streets beneath them. The vast, vibrant gardens that surround the area could be seen from their position and Terra could almost smell their faint floral fragrance.

Aqua often asked Terra about her sister, but the answer was always the same. He would never reveal anything to her. His loyalty runs too deep. The young knight would answer almost all of the dejected girl's questions except that one, the one that she desperately wanted the answer to. She knew he would not tell her, but she continued to try anyway. Deep down she hoped that she could one day break his distrust and that he might disclose the information to her.

"You know I can't to that," Terra responded sourly.

"Terra, I just want to know that she is ok. Please. You don't have to give me graphic details, I just need to know how she is," Aqua pleaded as she climbed of her position on the ledge and approached him.

"Aqua," the man with bottomless azure eyes rebuked gently as he shook his head and glanced in the opposite direction.

She heard him utter her name. He had just called her Aqua and she could not believe her ears.

"Please…I just," the cobalt maiden tried again as she got even closer to him. She was desperately trying to beseech that part of him that she knew would tell her…the faint light that dully glimmered way down within his shady essence.

"No," Terra said rigidly as he brought his gaze back to her.

Just like that, she was mercilessly pushed away again. His dreary light was doused and she could not sense it anymore.

Aqua frowned.

"So, who is going to be teaching me next week?" the watery keyblade wielder asked blankly as she stared down at her bare feet. She decided she wanted to change the subject.

"Lord Xehanort."

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! Hopefully the gaps left in the story are starting to be filled. I wanted things to make more sense at the story progressed. And I know that Regen is not in Kingdom Hearts but like I have said before this is a Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy hybrid. Anyway, this was clearly a Sora and Kairi chapter but there will be more Aqua and Terra drama in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for sticking with the story!**_


	11. The Worst Day Since Yesterday

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy in any way shape or form. I own nothing!

**Chapter 11**

**The Worst Day Since Yesterday**

Aqua's last lesson with Luxord was just as unpleasant and boring as her first. The only lesson she had enjoyed was the one she had when Roxas and Demyx crashed and they had played cards all morning until Terra came to get her.

Today, Aqua was not playing cards and she was alone with the Elder.

She was not playing around with Roxas. The cerulean girl missed Roxas's company. He was one of the few people who had shown her true kindness since she had been here, and he was actually one of the few things that kept her sane.

"Alright, Aqua," Luxord said with a melancholy sigh, "What is the first thing Dark Knights go through before they begin their training?"

The young woman sighed as played with the leather that covered the armrests of the massive chair she sat in. Her radiant eyes wandered around the elaborate study they sat in. Like everything else in Tarnen, this room was mostly red. The lush carpet was pitch black, the walls were vermillion, and the book shelves that lined the back wall of the room were a red tinted mahogany.

As she tried to think of the correct answer she stared at the massive portrait of a very sophisticated looking Luxord that dangled on the wall behind his desk.

"The…values…inoculation?" she answered with a wince. Aqua tightly shut her eyes; she knew her answer wasn't completely right.

The Child of Light knew what it was, she just did not know the procedure by name. It was what young men went through on their journey to becoming a Dark Knight. The brutalization process was used to obliterate any existing morals, values, or norms the individual had and replaced them with new ones that drove the individual to accept violence, murder, ruination, and death as a way of life. The result was men who were immune to remorse and desensitized to brutality and bloodshed. It was embraced as habitual and normal as well as a necessary skill.

"Incorrect," the blonde elder replied disappointedly, "it is called the values inculcation."

Luxord shook his head in displeasure as he began writing in a notepad.

Honestly, the female Keyblade wielder did not care if it was incorrect. She loathed the Dark Knights and she hated learning about them as well as their ridiculous training methods that turned them into invincible monsters.

"Perhaps we should take a field trip," the dark man with pale features thought aloud as he tapped his chin with the writing utensil he had been writing with.

Aqua's nose wrinkled in dissatisfaction.

"I would rather not," she opposed as she brought her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

The aquamarine girl wanted to vanish into she long, rippling, sky-blue skirt she wore. She wanted to sink down into it and use it to hide. He couldn't drag her on a _field trip _if he couldn't find her...

"We have been covering this material for almost a week and you are still struggling with it," Luxord chided her as he rose from behind his enormous mahogany desk coated in thick books and scattered paperwork.

"I believe a physical example and demonstration might help you grasp the information," the Elder continued as he placed his hands behind his back and strolled around his desk.

This was not going to be fun. Reading and learning about the brutal and sinister training Dark Knights went through was bad enough, she could not imagine how unpleasant witnessing it would be.

"Can I get one more chance?" Aqua questioned skeptically as she weakly smiled at her fair-haired tutor.

"No. Let's go," the man replied flatly as he exited the room.

The azure female groaned as she reluctantly got to her feet and slowly walked to the scarlet door Luxord had left open for her.

"Today will be a great day for demonstration. The Dark Knights and the elite are training today as well, not just the trainees and guards," Luxord stated as he walked Aqua down the black and red hallways.

"Terra?" she asked without thinking and quickly latched her alabaster hands over her treacherous mouth.

"Mm hmm," the Elder answered casually although Aqua was sure he heard the curiosity in her voice, "The captain and the higher ranking knights are not required to train daily but they are expected to stay in shape and to endure rigorous training at least once a month."

"Didn't Terra tell you what he was going to be doing today?" Luxord inquired as he peered down at the quiet girl walking next to him.

It took a great deal of effort to not scoff at the man beside her.

"Terra only tells me what he _wants_ to tell me," Aqua tried to answer as nicely as she could.

"You two just spend so much time together I assumed that he would inform you of such things," the man with pale blonde hair said with a shrug.

The Elder led the sapphire young woman out the back of the palace and through the private palace gardens. Unlike the gardens within the Dark Capital, the palace garden only contained crimson, black, navy, and purple flowers. Apparently, only dark flowers were permitted on these rotting grounds.

Zinnias, black dahlias, roses, pansies, black lilies, bat orchids, celosias, and countless other blackened flowers she did not recognize surrounded the pathways she and Luxord followed. The flowers were as beautiful as they were macabre.

The only trees that filled the area were glum weeping willows that swayed eerily in the unearthly fall wind that swept over the vacant, gloomy garden.

Once they past the garden they continued following the stony pathways until they reached a giant training ground that mimicked a coliseum or a gladiator arena. Towering ruby columns encased the squared training field on three of its four sides. The fourth side, however, was made of large stone bleachers where eager onlookers could sit.

_Maybe some executions are held here…_Aqua mused mentally as she thought of reasons why the training ground would need that many seats.

"This is one of the two identical training grounds we have," Luxord explained as he walked the blue maiden to the towering stairs that doubled as seats, "one is for the lower-ranking knights or knights in training, while the other is used for actual Dark Knights and the elite Dark Knights."

The indigo female nodded as she examined the young men that filled the arena. Each of them had their heads shaved and they all wore identical pairs of black pants. They did not wear shoes or anything on the upper half of their bodies. Every single individual on the field had been robbed of any trace of individuality. This too was part of the _values inculcation _process.

Almost immediately Aqua noticed that most of these young men were about Roxas's age.

"Has Roxas already been through this stage of…" the young woman could not find the right words, but she figured Luxord would still understand her question.

"Yes, Roxas is part of the elite group of Dark Knights and you cannot reach that rank without going through this level of training," the blonde Elder replied as he watched the young men undergoing relentless amounts of conditioning.

Some were doing pushups, others were running laps, a few more were sprinting up and down the steps Luxord and his student sat upon, but none of them regarded them. Aqua was sure if they did they would probably be beaten and punished until they were black and blue so she tried her best to avoid drawing their attention. She knew that they were being trained to be ruthless killing machines like Vanitas and…and Terra but she still did not want them to be harmed, Aqua did not wish that kind of assault on anyone.

"But Roxas is so young. He is just sixteen," the cerulean Keyblade wielder said as she watched the other boys that were about his age being yelled at mercilessly by Xaldin and Lexaeus.

"Roxas is also a prodigy. He can effortlessly wield two keyblades at once. Needless to say Roxas was not a low ranking guard or standard knight for very long," the sinister man with blonde hair specified.

The word prodigy made Aqua's chest ache. Kairi was a prodigy too. Everything always came so easily for her and Aqua could not help but feel envious sometimes. The aquamarine girl was not a prodigy. She just was lucky to have mastered her Blizzard and Cure spells.

"The trainees will condition for a while longer, after that they will try to go beyond their pain barrier," Luxord explained as his eyes darted back and forth across the massive area.

"Pain barrier?" the ethereal maiden asked as she glanced over at him.

"Mm hmm, it is the point at which pain becomes so excruciating that the suffering begins to diminish," the man next to her replied with a nod but he did not look at her.

Aqua did not ask any more questions about the pain barrier. She did not want to know what was done to break this alleged pain barrier. The azure woman shuttered at the thought.

_I wonder if that is how Terra got some of his scars, _she could not help thinking.

"Let us go see what the _big _boys are doing," Luxord recommended after they had watched the trainees for a while. The shady instructor was confident Aqua had seen all she needed to see.

That was the last thing the girl with cobalt eyes wanted to do. Going to their training area would not be a pleasant experience, but she stood up anyway, it was not like she had a choice.

* * *

Terra was lying on the sandy ground of the practice field with his arms behind his head. He was resting; he had woken up much too early that morning. His turbulent mind was refusing to let him rest, so he lied in his bed holding Aqua to his body while he wrestled with his chaotic, confusing thoughts.

"Terra you better get your sorry ass up before I make you take your nap on the bed of spears!" Xigbar roared as he approached the sleep-deprived knight.

The gold and bronze knight loathed the bed of spears and Xigbar knew that. Dark Knights were supposed to be impervious even without their armor. Every inch of their bodies, even the most vulnerable areas such as the neck or stomach, were supposed to withstand attacks that would otherwise be fatal.

One way to train the body to do such a feat was the bed of spears. It was a brutal method in which the individual would lay on a plank covered in sharp spears while someone else would walk all over the individual's back or stomach, depending on the position. The walking would apply even more pressure to the daggers and it would be the individual's job to channel their energy into any and every part of their body to prevent being injured.

"I don't know why he is so tired all the time. If I had a girl in my bed every night I would be sleeping like a baby. She would get an amazing nights sleep too of course," Vanitas said confidently as he pelted a practice dummy made of pure brick with his bare fists.

Terra's insane foster-brother made it sound so simple. He made it sound like she was just an object to keep his bed warm. A toy for him to play with whenever he wanted. It would be simple if he was fucking her every night but he wasn't. The navy-eyed man had never placed a hand on her like that. What Terra went through nightly was far more torturous than any night of passion could be…

"Maybe Aqua didn't put out last night," Demyx chimed in as he pretended to do sit ups.

It annoyed the earthen warrior to the highest degree that Demyx was on his practice field. Technically, Demyx was a higher-ranking Dark Knight, but it was hard for Terra to accept him as such. The sitar-playing knight was worthless on the field and was only useful within prisons or other miniscule tasks. But due to Terra's recent…_occupation_ Demyx was forced to do more fieldwork and Purges to help pick up the slack.

"Aw, Terra, is that true? Did your white witch not let you fuck her last night?" the menacing man with golden eyes and raven hair teased as he stopped assaulting the punching bag made of stone and faced his _dear brother. _

The young man with chocolate-colored hair did not answer, he did not have to and he did not want to. What he and Aqua did or didn't do was none of their affair. Terra also didn't want Vanitas thinking Aqua was a virgin. The yellow-eyed demon was a cherry hound; he had a sick thing for virgins. So he chose to let his fellow knights think what they wanted.

"A true gentleman never tells," Terra finally remarked as he shielded his midnight blue eyes with his powerful arm from the blazing midday sun.

"Maybe Terra was just too good and overexerted himself. I have seen the girls that he has gotten his hands on and not all of them have been _rested_ when they leave," Axel playfully ridiculed as he sharpened his chakrams while he sat on the ground next to Terra.

The unarmored knight snickered with Axel.

"I don't give a fuck about what he was doing last night! Sunshine was late and he should already be on the bed of spears for that! Not to mention the vast amounts of laziness he is demonstrating now!" Xigbar yelled as he kicked Terra's arm.

"I do not care if you are the captain! Get up! You too Axel!" the irritated elder shouted as he seriously considered using both of them for target practice.

The red-haired knight quickly rose to his feet while Terra only sat up. Terra was not afraid of Xigbar and was tempted to lie back down despite the threats from his sharp shooting elder.

Just as Terra was about to collapse back onto his back he heard Luxord call out to Xigbar.

"Xigbar!" Luxord called as he crossed the thin, coarse sand that covered the training area with a hushed Aqua on his heels.

At the sight of his blue responsibility the shirtless knight quickly rose to his bare feet.

_Why are they here? She doesn't need to be here! This is one of the few times a day I get some time to myself without her torturing me! _

"Luxord! You brought poppet!" Xigbar teased as he opened his arms playfully.

Xigbar was one of the several servants of Darkness within Tarnen Palace that refused to call her by name. Aqua had acquired many names during her stay here. Poppet, white witch, white whore, whore, slut, hussy, floozy, kid, girl, little miss sunshine, and...and Blue.

"She was struggling with Dark Knight concepts and training and I brought her to the practice fields hoping that it would help her material sink in," Luxord explained as he crossed his arms and looked at his azure pupil with contempt.

Aqua was trying to once again disappear behind her hair. At that moment she wished she had let Kairi teach her that Vanish spell. Then she quickly remembered that she couldn't use magic anymore so knowing the incantation would do her no good.

She sighed heavily and held her head down.

"May she watch our boys practice today?" Luxord continued.

"She could if they were actually doing anything. Our captain is being exceptionally worthless today and the others are not much better," the one-eyed man responded with an eye roll, "I am afraid it will not be much of a demonstration."

All training had ceased the instant Aqua and Luxord emerged onto the training field. Each of the shirtless Dark Knights that only wore sleek training pants were staring at her with harsh yet curious eyes.

"Perhaps it will be more of a lesson in discipline and punishment," Luxord chuckled as he motioned for Aqua to follow him to the steps where they could get a good view.

"It is seriously starting to look that way," Xigbar huffed as he scratched the back of his neck.

"You kiddos have two seconds to start body hardening exercises before I really start to lose it," the elder with a long pony tail warned.

"Are you going to do some with us today Xigbar?" Axel teased as he made his way to one of the stone columns Terra had erected for them throughout the field upon arrival.

"As if!" the one-eyed elder countered as he crossed his arms, "I've already paid my dues."

Terra gave Aqua a swift glance before he turned to find a column to use for body hardening. He disliked the exercises that required him to punch forms of stone or be bludgeoned by unyielding, sturdy objects. But he had to do it to keep his fists and body firm and resistant to damage.

The cerulean maiden and her instructor for the day had not made it halfway across the field when suddenly everyone on the training ground either fell to their knees or bowed except her.

One of The Child of Light's cobalt brows rose as she tried to figure out why they were kneeling. Aqua turned to face the direction in which all of the men were bowing toward.

Azure eyes widened as she saw Lord Xehanort slithering across the practice ground. She knew she was supposed to bow too or curtsey but Aqua still refused to pay the Overlords any form of respect.

The captain of the Dark Knights knew Aqua wasn't bowing before he even peered over at her.

The instant Xehanort signaled for everyone to raise Terra dug his foot into the earth, causing Aqua's feet and ankles to be caught in a snare of magical earth. The assault on the lower part of her legs forced her to lose her balance but she did not fall to her knees as he had hoped.

Aqua squealed and gasped as the ground swallowed her up to her ankles. She knew instantly that it was her _guardian_. Terra was warning her. He wanted her to bow to the Dark Overlord. Even though the aquamarine keyblade wielder knew what he wanted and that he was giving her a warning, she did not falter.

After the earthen male realized his white witch was still refusing to heed him he commanded the earth to suck her even further into his trap of terrain.

The young woman screamed as the land sucked her down by her legs until only her thighs were spared from the earthen snare. This time she did lose her balance and her hands fell to the ground before the wicked monarch that was now only a few feet away from her.

Terra smirked at his cruel victory.

"Terra! Let me go!" Aqua screamed as she frantically pulled at her thighs and clawed at the solid, rocky encasement.

The young man with brown hair did not reply. He crossed his arms over his thick chest and watched her squirm. Terra would not help her if she was not going to ask him nicely or show him the respect he deserved.

The sapphire girl continued to scream as the uncomfortable texture of aggressive rock and bristly stone dug into the sensitive skin of her legs.

Hysterically, Aqua tried to use her magic. She felt her temperature slightly drop as an acidic, agonizing pain shot through her arms and scorched every single vein and cell that made up her arms.

Another harrowing scream erupted from her throat as the sensation persisted as she tried to freeze the ground off of her victimized limbs. The more she tried to conjure the more her arms felt like they would catch on fire and that her bones were being charred to the point of disintegration. Soft, defeated sobs broke from her trembling lips as she placed her hands on Terra's rotting, villainous earth.

No one questioned Terra's judgment or his decision to punish Aqua for her insubordination. They merely watched his methods and Aqua's desperate yet resistant reactions, while Roxas refused to observe the cruelty.

The woman with indigo hair had been there long enough to know what Terra wanted from her, but she did _not_ want to give it to him. She refused. Instead of begging for his deliverance like he wanted her to, Aqua continued to fight the restraints made of firm soil herself.

With dirt covered hands the Child of Light hopelessly clawed and dug at the brutal, jagged harness that held her limbs.

"Terra! Stop it!" she yelled at him again and it was not the right answer.

Terra did not stop. He held his hand out in front of his body and the ground violently rushed up Aqua's innocent body and engulfed her to her waist.

The watery maiden gasped sharply and struck the land with her fists as hard as she could, hoping that it would cause him as much pain as he was causing her. It felt like all the bones in her lower body could snap at any moment. The pressure he was applying was utter agony and Aqua just knew that he would snap her like a twig if he tightened the snare anymore. Her hip and pelvic bones ground and scraped inside of her as the earth squeezed her relentlessly while her legs tried to shake as the were pushed in contradicting directions that threatened to splinter them into fragmented pieces.

"Terra!" Aqua almost begged as her bones creaked and threatened to give.

Almost was not good enough for the Dark Knight that commanded the earth. With one quick motion of his hand the azure Keyblade wielder was taken even further down into the menacing grip of the unforgiving terrain. The turf ingested her until only her head and neck were free.

One more wail escaped her crushed lungs that were being savagely dug into by each and every one of the sharp edges of her bowed ribs.

Satisfied with his work, Terra lowered his arm and waited calmly and passively for her response.

"Please. Please, Terra! Please!" she succumbed and pleaded just as her ferocious caretaker wanted her to.

With one swift upward motion of his hand Aqua was regurgitated from the snare of rock and earth. She was hurled to her hands and knees as she weakly crawled forward.

The icy girl could not breathe. She knew she was breathing but it still felt impossible, she had to force herself to take gulps of air. Aqua fought with her own body as she tried to coax herself into normal, subconscious breathing once again.

It terrified and shocked her how Terra managed to control her even when she thought he would not be able to.

"That will not always be necessary, Terra," Lord Xehanort stated as he approached the man who stared steadily at the heaving young woman, "she must learn to respond properly on her own. You cannot always pull her puppet strings. Remember that."

"She catches on quickly. It usually takes one harsh lesson for her to get the message. This should not be a problem anymore," the youthful captain explained as he placed his hands on his hips.

Xehanort nodded, "I am not questioning your decisions. If I did I would not have allowed the punishment to continue. I just do not want you to forget that the goal is to get her to do these things on her own."

"Yes, my lord," Terra replied with a short bow.

"I definitely see why you were chosen to watch after her," the sovereign contemplated proudly as he gently stroked his gray beard, "It pleases me to know that we made the correct decision."

While Terra conversed with Xehanort, Roxas could not stand it anymore. It was hard for him to tolerate the abuse that had been administered to Aqua, but he knew he could not interfere. Roxas understood that it was necessary and a requirement but that did not make it any easier to watch. Now that the assault had ceased, he had to at least help her up.

Midnight blue eyes enlarged as he noticed Roxas from his peripheral and he rapidly summoned a colossal rock wall that separated Roxas from Aqua's crumpled form. The action could have easily killed anyone that was not as skilled or as coordinated as the dual Keyblade wielder. Roxas almost received a nasty head injury from the fierce rocks Terra controlled with ease.

The young, blonde knight staggered backwards as he tried to avoid getting maimed from the captain's attack.

"Don't help her," Terra hissed darkly between clenched teeth with eyes that had narrowed into poisonous slits.

"Remember yourself, Roxas," the Overlord demanded, "your kindness will be your undoing."

Once the earthen male had stopped Roxas he took the incentive to go to Aqua's side. He knelt beside her and watched her quiver and breathe heavily and shallowly as she rested on her hands and knees.

Terra knew he had not actually hurt her. Hurting her had not been his intention, he just wanted to shake her up a bit and he had clearly done that.

Tanned fingers reached out for her and brushed the milky skin of her shoulder, but before he could completely put his hand on her Aqua vigorously yanked her shoulder away from him.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed in between sobs and panicky gasps for air.

Her harsh words caused a sharp pang to shoot through his sternum and travel throughout the middle of his chest. It did not tickle this time. The sensation only stung and ached. When it first started happening it was just a slight tickle and stinging feeling, but now it was nothing but pain and discomfort.

"Alright," Terra complied as he lifted his arm in imitation surrender before rising to his feet.

"Ok ladies the show is over. Body hardening exercises, now!" Xigbar commanded as he impatiently snapped his fingers.

Eventually, Aqua rose to her shaky feet and held her ribcage as if her lungs would collapse if she didn't support herself. With short, sporadic breaths she staggered toward the stairs that Luxord sat on.

"Hey, I have a better idea," Vanitas said as he placed a hands on his pale hip. The thin crimson and ebony wristbands he wore on his right wrist shifted down to his hand.

Every muscle in the young woman's body went rigid. She hated the sound of Vanitas's deep guttural voice.

With tentative eyes, Aqua glanced over her shoulder at the threatening man with inky hair.

Again, she wished that he was wearing his usual armor. When he wore his armor she did not have to see his frightening eyes.

His piercing golden eyes shone through his jet-black hair and gazed right at her in repulsive ways. Vanitas had a slender dark red necklace with subtle silver rings tightly attached to it while the necklace itself hung securely around the middle of his sturdy throat.

Aqua liked casual Vanitas almost as much as she did the knight version of Vanitas.

"Why don't we do a little target practice," the man with tawny eyes suggested as he approached the girl he wanted to use as a target.

"Hmm that isn't a bad idea. It's not every day we get a moving target," Xigbar agreed with a chuckle.

"You can't kill her," Terra countered as he shook his head, causing his chocolate tresses to sway across his face.

Target practice usually involved shooting at a victim, usually a prisoner or someone who was going to be executed, until they were dead. Sometimes there could even be more than one. Then it really becomes a blood stained free for all. It was an easy way to perform an execution and to help knights practice magic and other long-range attacks.

"Who said anything about killing her?" Vanitas spat at Terra, "You are getting _way_ too attached to her."

"Poor little Terra is going soft," Xigbar teased as he jabbed a bony finger into Terra's strong, chiseled stomach. The muscles that made up his stomach did not give in any way. Physically, the brown-haired man was far from soft.

"I am not soft!" Terra roared as he struck Xigbar's hand away causing Aqua to flinch at the sound of his powerful voice.

Vanitas could smell Terra's sugary blood. The crimson knight suspected Terra had a fresh wound and he was just dying to dig his venomous fingers into it so he could watch the captain squirm.

"Are too! Look how touchy you are about it!" the black-haired knight baited him.

The insults were much worse because Terra was starting to believe their could actually be some truth to them.

"Shut your fucking mouth!" the head knight shouted as he grabbed Vanitas by the throat and shoved him to the ground with one forceful push.

Vanitas was seriously contemplating jumping up and punching every single one of Terra's perfect teeth in, but the dangerous knight knew that hitting Terra would only hurt for a moment. Hitting the navy-eyed wonder would be an empty victory and probably wouldn't even faze him. However, torturing and teasing him were techniques that were much more rewarding. Over the years he had learned that physical fights with Terra were fun but his rival would not be disturbed in the slightest. The real way to unnerve Terra was through his heart. The earthen male was an impenetrable force physically, but not emotionally.

"Fine! Shoot at her all you want! Bombard her to bits! But don't come crying to me when the Overlords hear that you slaughtered her before you were supposed to!" Terra continued to bellow as he loomed over the grounded Vanitas.

Aqua rushed to Terra's side and pulled at his hard-bodied arm.

"Don't you dare let them do this to me!" she whispered gruffly so only he could hear her.

"You shouldn't have disobeyed me," he countered as he glared down at her sternly.

The sapphire girl's chest churned as she wrestled with her inner frustration at him and glared back at him.

Terra could see it. Her flawless, beautiful eyes were swimming with hostility, aversion, and disgust as she gazed in his direction. Like always, she did not directly look at him and…and…it…kind of… hurt…

"When you are done kissing her, Terra, you can let her play with the real men," Vanitas mocked as he snickered and leapt to his feet.

"Take her," Terra said roughly as he grabbed a weak Aqua by her arm and slung her to the sandy terrain before Vanitas and Xigbar.

Aqua grunted as she once again found herself on her hands and knees.

"Alright poppet," the man with the eye patch stated as Vanitas grabbed their victim by her forearms and hauled her to her feet, "you are going to be a moving target so just run around the field a few times."

When the black-haired young man lifted Aqua he stared at the bindings she had wrapped around her wrists. He roughly stroked the tape she used to cover her humiliating scars and she noticed a menacing ebony ring with unusual, disturbing designs engraved within the onyx metal wrapped around one of his severely calloused fingers.

The cobalt woman's stomach lurched at his bristly touch and she tried to snatch her wrists from him.

"Did Terra hurt you little girl?" Vanitas asked in a husky, suggestive voice, "Want me to kiss it and make it _all _better?"

Golden eyes simmered as he stared at her and licked his lips. He observed her as if she was a gushing river of fresh water and he was a dehydrated man who had been wandering a desert for countless years.

Terra said nothing, but below his calm and collected exterior he was absolutely seething on the inside. The bronze captain was so infuriated he was pretty sure he could breathe dark fire if he dared to open his scalding mouth.

Aqua squirmed and aggressively pushed at Vanitas, "Let go."

"Terra, make her behave," the golden eyed Keyblade master complained as the aquamarine girl in his arms shoved and writhed against him. She was clearly being more difficult than he had anticipated her to be.

"No," The earthen male snarled softly as his built arms were crossed tightly over his strapping, tanned chest.

The bronze Dark Knight was done dealing with his rabid foster-brother. Since he and Xigbar thought they were so _smart_ they could wrestle with Aqua's strong will and spirit for a while.

"Aw let her go Vanitas. She needs to be released so she can be a proper target," Xigbar said as he began adjusting his Arrowguns.

The azure Keyblade wielder was refusing to cooperate, even after Vanitas liberated her arms. She did not run nor did she move from her position.

Suddenly a glowing light purple dagger was shot much to close to her feet. Aqua gasped and staggered backward toward her mute _caretaker_.

"I believe I told you to run around the square a few times," the sharp shooting elder repeated as he held up his dual Arrowguns.

* * *

Aqua ran ahead of Terra and wretched his door open as she stumbled into his room. She had not been hurt during target practice but she had definitely been unsettled.

The Dark Knight quickly barreled in behind her to make sure she did not get too far from him. Relief had swept over him when he saw she was running into his room instead of running off somewhere else. After practice he was not sure how she was going to react.

The Child of Light had been a mobile and stationary target for all the knights except Roxas, while Lord Xehanort watched proudly. Every weapon and spell they could muster had been chucked at her and she was covered in scraps, lacerations, scratches, and crud.

The dirt and crud had been Terra's contribution. Earth is a messy element…

Initially, he had not planned on participating in today's cruel and unusual target practice but he had persuaded himself into it. He was their captain and he had to play his part. Terra had to set an example and a standard.

"I'm taking a shower," Aqua hissed as she stormed into his bathroom.

"And no I wasn't asking!" she shouted as she threw off her shirt and vanished into the exquisite bathroom. She didn't care if he did see her exposed back.

Normally, he would yell at her or punish her for saying something like that but this time Terra thought she had been through enough for one day.

The unarmed warrior slowly and timidly walked into the bathroom behind her. Her nude back was facing him. The tender, porcelain skin was covered in tiny nicks and gashes while small trickles of ruby fluid trickled down her ivory flesh.

"D-do you want me to heal you?" the dark Keyblade master offered as he desperately fought the urge to wipe the blood from her lovely but damaged skin.

Aqua laughed wildly and sarcastically as she disappeared behind the wine red shower curtain and threw her skirt and undergarments onto the floor from behind the barrier between them.

The earthen knight sighed dejectedly and ran both of his hands through his dark brown locks. He did not sit or relax while she showered. Instead, he paced back and forth like a panther in front of the shower curtain. Terra could hear the water flowing off of her. He could her it fondling her curvy body and exploring every portion of her flawless skin.

Unwillingly, the brunette found himself thinking about what she looked like in there. He wondered if she looked as good as he imagined she did. Suddenly he found himself jealous of the water that was in the shower with her.

"Towel," Aqua said dispassionately as her sopping hand emerged from behind the shower's drapery.

_Shit. _

Terra had been so distracted by perplexing thoughts that he had forgotten to get her towels for her.

Clumsily, he rushed to the cabinet and yanked out to crimson towels for her. The knight stumbled back to the shower and filled her empty hand with the red towel.

"The red is appropriate," she hissed as she emerged and tucked the top edges of the towel down so the inappropriate, temporary garment would not fall off her.

_No one will see my blood on it, _she thought wish vast amounts of scorn.

The navy-eyed man could not help but notice that she did not allow him to help her into her towel like she did sometimes. Not that it mattered…he just noticed.

_She is mad at you remember. You were a complete asshole to her today, _he reminded himself mentally.

The dripping woman stomped into Terra's room and began ripping through his dresser drawers for one of her white slips. She purposely threw his deplorable clothes into the floor in search of her own.

"Stop it," her moody roommate scolded as he began picking up the clothes that she strewed across every inch of his room.

"Stop it," she mocked as she forcefully chucked one of his stupid shirts at him.

"I mean it. Stop," the guardian gently warned again as he held the shirt she had just thrown at him.

"Or what? Are you gonna catapult rocks at me again?" Aqua challenged as she pushed his chest with one of her hands.

"Or maybe you can make the ground swallow me up to my neck. This time you can completely sink me into the ground!" she howled as she pushed him again with both hands.

Terra did not argue. He just took it. Now that he thought about it, he kind of deserved it.

"Turn around or something I have to get dressed," the indigo maiden chastised him as she turned her back to him.

Again, Terra did not argue. He merely did as he was told and listened to the soaked towel that was once plastered to her delicate body plop onto the floor.

The young woman silently put on her typical thin, white slip with lacy trim. It was all she had to sleep in and she had grown accustomed to it. She found that they were actually really comfortable once she got use to their sheer texture.

"Why didn't you stop them?" the girl with bright cobalt eyes blurted out once she was dressed.

She could not hold it in anymore. She wanted to know why.

"Why do you always expect me to protect you?" the youthful captain countered as he turned back around to face her.

Aqua reeled. She had never thought about it like that before. It wasn't until he put it that way that she realized how much truth there was to it.

"If I have told you once I have told you a thousand times, I don't do that. You know I don't yet you still expect me to shield you," he continued.

She didn't answer him. She could not answer him. Honestly, the blue woman had no idea why she thought that he would protect her time and time again. No matter how many times he failed to, for some idiotic reason she still thought that he would. Maybe she wanted him to. Maybe it wasn't that she thought that he would, but that she wanted him to be her protector. Perhaps she wanted a literal guardian instead of an imitation one.

Once Terra realized the dispute was over he left her and went to remove his training pants.

While her faux knight in shining armor prepared for bed Aqua went out on the balcony. It had become her favorite place inside the palace even though she had only experienced it that morning. On the balcony she could close her eyes and she could pretend she was somewhere else. She could listen to the sounds of nature and she could hear the water of the fountains. The sounds seemed to calm her despite everything. After the day she had today she needed something that could offer her solace.

For a long time Aqua sat on the railing of the balcony with her eyes closed and thought of being somewhere else. She thought about Twilight Town, she thought of the Destiny Islands, she thought of Traverse Town, and most of all she thought of The Land of Departure.

"Are you coming to bed?" a sturdy voice brought her out of her reminiscence and just like that she was back to the place she hated the most.

"No," Aqua snapped as he eyes ripped open to glare at the man addressing her.

"No?" Terra probed as he stepped out onto the patio.

"I am not going anywhere _near_ you tonight," she explained with intense resolve.

"Don't be stupid," the knight replied and rolled his deep blue eyes as he approached her.

"Don't touch me," the sky blue girl, warned, as his hand snaked around the curve of her elbow, "Don't touch me! Don't!"

Terra did not utter a word, he simply took his screaming companion to the bed while she did everything humanly possible to remove his grip on her elbow. She kicked, she screamed, she hit, and she scratched but the knight did not waver.

Aqua shouldn't be surprised. She had learned about the body hardening exercises they did. The exercises that involved trainees punching walls and rocks until their hands were solid, and the process of being stricken repeatedly until their entire bodies could withstand the trauma of an attack. After today, Aqua would _never_ forget Dark Knight training regiments. Luxord had made sure of that.

"Aqua! Enough!" Terra commanded as he grabbed her by her shoulders and looked sincerely down into her gorgeous pools of blue.

"No!" she screamed as she tried to yank her shoulders from his palms, "You all think I'm helpless don't you!"

With a sigh the broody knight did not release her but listened.

"You think that I will die here! You think you will get to execute me and you will all get to laugh and jeer at me!" the Child of Light yelled hoarsely as she persisted to fight Terra's fixated grip.

"Aqua…" he said softly as she jerked and pulled so much that he too jolted from her force.

"But I will escape!" she cried as she began beating his warm, muscular chest with firmly clenched fists, "I will get out of here!"

The young man watched her intently with midnight blue eyes and willingly took each blow she landed upon his upper body.

"I will! I will!" Aqua wailed as her fierce strikes turned into faint thuds. She had reached her breaking point.

"I will. I will," the azure female sobbed as her forearms stilled and rested on his toasty chest.

Terra felt her hesitantly molding into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her cool shoulders and pulled her closer to his chest as she began to cry.

"I will...I will," she said in between sobs as her moist, rosy cheek rested against the unarmored knights chest.

The light Keyblade wielder hit him one last time before her tears began to cascade down onto his tanned chest. The bronze warrior embraced her as she cried on him. He tenderly held his arms around her shoulders and gently stroked her unique hair as she wept.

Soft, ethereal features buried into his chest as warm tears flowed down her pink cheeks and crashed onto his thick trunk.

_She is always so chilly…but her tears are warm…_

"I hate you," Aqua whimpered as sobs proceeded to explode from her mouth and her tear streaked cheek grazed his sultry skin, "I hate you."

"I know. I know," Terra, replied softly as he rested his head on top of hers and she embedded her face further into the warmth that radiated off his study chest.

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! And thanks for reviewing, it really motivates me to continue this story. Anyway, this chapter was intended to give everyone an idea of how Terra was raised and how Dark Knights are made. Like always Terra's background will be explained in more detail later. And I know I am a terrible person. I am always torturing poor Aqua and I am always making Terra and Aqua fight. But keep in mind that they are in a complicated situation and they are not always going to get along. I have to keep it realistic. I digress. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. **_


	12. The Desperate Kingdom of Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

**Chapter 12**

**The Desperate Kingdom of Love**

Aqua had spent most of the night crying on Terra's chest even after he had picked her up and carried her to bed. For a while, the knight thought she was on the brink of an absolute crying binge, but apparently she just needed to let her frustrations out.

After she finished weeping, she slept like a baby. The navy-eyed man knew that her eyes would torment her once she awoke. He could tell by looking at her now that they would be puffy and red when she opened them.

_She will still be gorgeous though, _he thought before attempting to sling the foolish thought into the deepest, darkest corners of his mind.

What was making him think that way? He had never thought about anyone that way before.

_I need to get laid. That's what it is. It has been way too long. I haven't been able to get laid since she started staying in my bed. It is just physical need, right? And she is the closest thing to me so that has to be it. Once my need for the opposite sex is sated I should get better and this nonsense will stop. _

Even though he was convincing himself that it was physical need that was drawing him to her, he could not stop staring at the maiden that was sleeping on his chest. She looked so peaceful and ethereal. Terra's chest began to swell in the most unorthodox way.

He did not really mind having her in his bed. Terra might even like it a _little_ bit. What he liked the most was having her on his chest. The Dark Knight had to admit that he did like waking up with her soft head on his torso, her natural fragrance lingering in the air, the melodious sound of her breathing reverberating against his eardrums, and her hair teasing his tanned skin.

When she was asleep he could pretend that she didn't hate him.

_I wouldn't hate waking up like this every morning…but she would._

That thought was so uncomfortable and basically downright painful that Terra had to get out of bed. He could not stand her laying on him like that anymore.

Gently he grabbed the small porcelain arm that was draped carelessly over his chest and laid it on Aqua's curved side. As he shifted and moved away from her, the slumbering girl lightly groaned in dissatisfaction and rolled onto the flat plains of her stomach.

Once he detached himself from the Child of Light he stood and stretched his aching muscles. Yesterday wasn't just hard on Aqua; it hadn't been a cakewalk for Terra either. Vanitas and Xigbar hadn't been completely inaccurate when they said he was getting soft. Since having to deal with Aqua he hadn't been doing, as many Purges and he hadn't been conditioning or sparing as he was supposed to. The lack of physical activity had caused his muscles to become sore from yesterday's strenuous workout.

While Aqua slept, Terra adorned his body in black, gold, and bronze armor. However, he did not put on his helmet. The azure female had repeatedly made it abundantly clear that she did not like it when his helmet was on so he would avoid putting it on as long as possible.

The bronze warrior gingerly sat on the bed beside his serene roommate and watched her a few moments before he knew he would have to wake her. He wanted to enjoy her undisturbed, tranquil expression a bit longer before he had to stir the contempt and hatred that came with her conciousness.

"Aqua," he whispered as he brushed her hair off her pure but slightly hidden face with his cautious fingertips and carefully shook her appetizing, bare shoulder, "Come on. Its time to get up."

The female Keyblade wielder was exhausted and she was not waking up. Her face turned in her sleep to face the direction of Terra's distinct voice. Without giving it a second thought the armor-plated man reached out and stroked her delicate face with the back of his fingertips.

"Come on, Aqua," Terra called a bit louder before he joggled her a bit more, "I've let you sleep as long as possible. Up!"

"I don't want to," the incoherent young woman mumbled and complained into the satiny sheets, "Xehanort."

Even though she was not completely conscious yet, she was already dreading her presumed_ lesson_ with Lord Xehanort.

"That is right. I am taking you to Lord Xehanort today so you need to get up," Terra tried to encourage the resistant woman in his oversized, canopy bed as he got to his metal feet.

Bright, slightly blood-shot sky blue eyes fluttered open and glanced in his direction. He was glad to see that all the crying had not drained the light that radiated and sparkled inside her lovely eyes.

"How long have you been up?" she inquired hoarsely as she wriggled on his bed and buried her face into his pillow.

Aqua kind of liked the way his pillow smelled. He kind of smelled like cinnamon, wet clay and maybe a touch of honey? It was his own unique aroma and she could never quite figure out what it was that he smelled like. She just knew that she almost liked it. Subconsciously, she pulled the ebony pillow a bit closer to her.

"Long enough to get ready," he said harshly as he tugged at her toned waist with both of his ironclad hands, "I am about to get pissed if you don't get up. I'm not playing anymore."

The bronze warrior could tell that she was just avoiding the inevitable now and that she was no longer simply waking up. As he held her chilled midriff he saw where her injuries and lacerations from the day before had bled through her white slip at some point during the night. Crimson spots and streaks tarnished the otherwise unsullied garment.

The aquamarine female shook her head back and forth as she placed her arms under his pillow and buried herself further into its fluffy texture.

Now she was really trying his patience.

A growl erupted from Terra's throat as he bent over and wrapped his burly arms around her smooth waistline as he hauled her out of the bed by force. He was not surprised when she squealed and began hitting his hands and arms that were secured around her middle.

"Put me down!" she screeched as she kicked and was towed out of the safety of Terra's massive bed.

"I told you to get up!" Terra countered as he turned them both around and faced the bathroom.

"Now get ready!" he scolded darkly as he dropped her to her feet and pushed her toward bathroom.

Aqua stumbled forward gracelessly and flailed a few times before she glared over he shoulder at the man who had just shoved her mercilessly.

"Jerk," she huffed under her breath as she fixed the straps of her garment that had gotten disheveled in their little scuffle.

* * *

When Aqua and her _guardian_ entered the elaborate Grand Hall Xehanort _and_ Marluxia were already waiting for them.

"Why is _he _here?" the cerulean maiden asked in a low voice as she tugged at Terra's blackened cape.

The steel-plated brunette scoffed, "That is a good question."

The Dark Knight was just as surprised as Aqua was to see Marluxia. The male Seer Sage was supposed to be at the prison located in the desert near Palamecia with Ansem and Saix.

"Where are the other Overlords?" she whispered as she continued to hold onto Terra's cape until her knuckles bleached and examined the room.

The room was not as menacing as it had been the first time she entered it months ago. She wasn't sure if it was because there were not as many people in the massive hall or if it was because she had been tainted that much since the last time she had been there... Darkness still manifested within the unholy room but it was not as thick or as threatening as it had been when she initially crossed its threshold. Maybe it did not appear as dense because it was during the day or maybe it was because she was not as distraught this time.

_Or maybe the Darkness does not resent you as it did originally. Perhaps the Darkness isn't that angry with you anymore. Maybe you are more corrupt than you think, _she shuttered and tried to remove the depressing thought from her mental faculties.

"Ansem is at a prison and Xemnas is probably at the Palace of Retribution with the Elders. A minor trial is being held today," she finally heard the ironclad male answer in a gravelly, husky voice from within his helmet.

Terra desperately wanted to warn his charge of the seer's devious and menacing abilities, but he could not do so now. It was too late. Marluxia would sense it.

Once they reached the base of the stairway that led to the thrones, Terra knelt while Aqua merely placed her hands in front of her body and held her head down in an almost bow. It was not the reaction the gloomy knight was hoping for, but it was better than nothing.

"Welcome," the bald Overlord greeted them as he laced his fingers and placed them over his mouth, "I hope you do not mind that I have asked Marluxia to join us today."

The youthful captain was afraid of that. If Xehanort _wanted_ Marluxia there then he wanted him to either probe Aqua's or even his own mind. Maybe both.

"I thought he was supposed to be helping Ansem and Saix," Terra purposely did not reveal their location.

He knew they were in Palamecia possibly dealing with Kairi or even Sora and Aqua didn't need to know _anything_ about that. The shadowy knight had been given strict orders to not let Aqua know _anything_ about her sister. That detail was crucial to her rehabilitation, even though Terra did not know the exact reason why. It was not his job to know the details; he only did as he was told.

"His services were no longer required. He served his purpose there and now his presence is required here." Xehanort replied harshly as his fingers wriggled against each other like creeping crawling invertebrate animals.

_I was afraid of that, _Terra grumbled inwardly.

"Before we begin I would like to have Marluxia examine Aqua's progress," the Overlord said as he motioned for the seer to approach her.

It took every fiber of the navy-eyed warriors being to not ask his sovereign for permission to warn the sapphire young woman of what was about to happen to her. She had received lessons with the Seer Sages before but he doubted they would warn her about this. No, they needed her unaware so they could get the jump on her later.

Just as the female Keyblade wielder as about to ask what he meant by that, a sharp prick stabbed through the back of her skull and pierced into her brain. With shaky hands she reached behind her head to remove whatever it was that had been violently digging into her head. Ivory fingers parted her hair so she could reach the bare skin of her head and find the unpleasant wound or injury.

Aqua could not find it. She could not find what it was that was that was savagely worming its way into her defenseless, unsuspecting head.

"T-Terra?" she asked with trembling, unfocused eyes before she collapsed to her knees and held her distressed head in her quaking hands.

The pain only intensified. Whatever it was that was trying to snake its way into her head was extremely persistent. What started as a prick turned into a torrent of punctures and hornet stings.

As the aquamarine young woman continued to fight the torment escalated. Her entire body was convulsing and all her nerves were beginning to sizzle and deteriorate. Aqua's ears began to ring before her hearing completely muffled. Blood filled her ears and began to ooze out of her auditory canal. She could feel the thick fluid traveling out of her overflowing ears and seeping down her jaw.

"Just let him do it," Terra's compassionate but muddled voice barely resonated in her ears as she felt his gauntleted hands hold her shuddering shoulders.

Aqua was not sure what was happening or what the demented knight was talking about but at this point she was willing to do anything to stop the unwanted assault.

The young woman with indigo hair closed her eyes and stopped trying to remove the intruder from her brain. She even stopped thinking.

The instant her mind stopped racing and she stopped trying to figure out a way to put an end to the pain, it came to an abrupt halt. The intense pain was gone but was quickly replaced by a new form of discomfort. Silky tentacles wound around her brainstem as if to keep her cerebrum in place before the tentacles stretched out and moved up into her brain. The tendrils delved into the tender cerebral matter and crept in between every single wrinkle of her brain.

Once the slender threadlike appendage wrapped around her brain she could no longer resist it. She was helpless and she had to let it take whatever it wanted.

After what seemed like an eternity the brutal onslaught ceased and the satiny, abnormally flexible illusionary limb withdrew, Aqua felt like she would pass out. Her entire body went numb and she fell onto something hard and it rattled when she hit it.

"The first time is always the worst. It will be less painful from now on," Marluxia informed her as her tearing eyes stared blankly at the blackened, limitless ceiling of the Grand Hall.

The cerulean girl could smell the Darkness that hung in the air of this contemptible room as she tried to recover from whatever it was that had just happened to her. Her head lobbed over and collided with what felt like protective covering.

"Terra?" Aqua queried as she tried to retrieve her eyesight.

"Yeah. I'm here," he answered and she felt him lightly squeeze her shoulder in reassurance.

"Let me…just let me close my eyes for a minute," the girl pleaded deliriously as she laid her head on the cold carapace that she knew covered the knight's heated chest.

Terra silently held his blue responsibility as he knelt down beside her. His knee supported her back while one of his arms enveloped her shoulders and his other held her tiny, wrapped wrist. When he noticed the blood trickling down her jaw and neck, the brunette tenderly wiped it away with his thumb.

"She will be fine in a few moments," Marluxia said dismissively as he watched Terra hold the azure captive with uncharacteristic amounts of affection and tenderness.

The seer and the Overlord exchanged glances when they noticed the duo's behavior. Although they were being spoken to, they continued to only acknowledge one another. They were completely wrapped up in their own deranged, little world and they were not even aware of it.

"While she rests, tell me what you saw," Lord Xehanort finally spoke as he peered at his seer.

The Seer Sage stared at the unorthodox _couple_ a few more seconds before blinking rapidly and glancing at his liege.

"I will have to consult with Zexion, but what I saw appeared to be somewhat promising," the salmon haired seer replied with a shrug.

"Her future is still very delicate and unpredictable. What we feared is still very possible I am afraid, but the future we desire is also within the realm of possibility," Marluxia continued, "Sadly, she her future is still very uncertain. However, at the same time, things also seem to be playing out as we hoped they would."

"So we have done all we can?" the sinister monarch questioned as he continued to hold his folded, crumpled hands over his mouth.

"As far as I can see. Zexion may be able to inform us of more. It mainly depends on her," the male Seer Sage said as he nodded his head in Aqua's direction.

"And Terra?" the Overlord asked.

"Perhaps," Marluxia replied with a sneer, "It is a bit too soon to tell."

Aqua's cobalt orbs reopened and she glanced up at the man holding her, "Thank you."

The Dark Knight did not reply but he helped her up.

"Better?" Marluxia inquired as he carefully watched Terra continue to support her.

"I think so," the indigo Keyblade master answered as she placed a hand on her pulsating forehead.

Suddenly, a hiss erupted from Terra's grinding teeth. He was the victim of Marluxia's velvety death grip now, but he resisted. The knight _loathed_ having his mind invaded by the seers and he would withstand _any_ amount of pain to prevent it from happening.

Midnight blue eyes shot daggers at the emotionless seer as he withstood the pain and aggressively fended off the infringement.

"Terra," Lord Xehanort said blandly, "submit."

An intense scowl formed within the knight's faceless helmet.

Reluctantly, the dusky captain clenched his jaw, closed his deep eyes, and allowed Marluxia to desecrate his mind.

The seer had not been lying when he said the first time was the worst. Terra could remember the agony he felt the first time Marluxia vandalized the sanctity of his conscious and subconscious. He had just been a boy when the older seer took away the privacy of his inner thoughts and memories. Unlike Aqua, he had fought longer and with much for furor. Not only did Terra's ears bleed; his eyes and nose gushed vermillion fluid as well. Even as a child Terra had always believed he could outmatch anyone, but he was mistaken.

As an adult he can merely tolerate the tortuous touch of the seer. Over the years he had conditioned himself to withstand it, but it did not mean it didn't cause him physical suffering to do so.

"See? Was that so bad?" the velvety, tranquil voice of Marluxia questioned.

"Yes," the violated knight replied sourly as he ripped his headgear off his head and rubbed his unfortunate temples.

For the first time in her life, Aqua wanted to comfort Terra. At that moment, they were both victims of the same cruelty. If she was not so opposed to touching him she would have placed her hand on his arm or caressed the hand that kneaded his temple, but she _was_ opposed to touching him so she merely stood next to him.

Wanting to comfort Terra made Aqua think of Ventus. If it were Ventus standing next to her she would have comforted him in a heartbeat. She would help him rub his temples or she would hold him until the pain subsided, and he would have done the same for her…

"A-are you ok?" Aqua asked softly and hesitantly, as she demanded her sympathetic hands to stay at her sides. To avoid doing something she would regret she tightly clasped her hands together and twiddled her slender fingers.

"Hmm?" the combatant mumbled as he glanced over at her. She looked concerned and he could not believe his eyes. The concern couldn't be for him...could it?

"Yeah. Yeah I'll be ok," he continued as he desperately tried not to grin or flat-out smile at her.

"Now that the unpleasantries are out-of-the-way let us begin!" Xehanort said as he clapped his ghostly hands together. It was an attempt to break the illusionary spell that had once again fallen over the icy young woman and the earthen man.

Marluxia gave a contemptuous smile as he watched Aqua and Terra. They were subconsciously drowning everyone out again as they were captivated by one another...again. It was as if they continued to forget where they were and who they were in the presence of.

"I have a question for you, child," Xehanort stated as he gracefully descended the ruby carpet that coated the center of the stairway that led to the thrones.

Instinctively, Aqua took a step back.

The Overlord closed in on her held her angelic face in his repulsive hands.

"What makes you so sure that your _Light_ is something good?" he spat the concept out as if it was bitter poison. "Why do you think that we are the ones that are wrong?" the monarch asked again as his nightmarish yellow-orange eyes burned into her irises.

The question was meant to shake her resolve. It was intended to make her question everything that she stood for. At that moment, she realized that this wasn't a lesson. Xehanort was not going to teach her anything. He was going to unearth everything she knew to be true. The Dark Overlord was going to corrupt her from the inside out.

Terra watched Aqua closely. He had once asked her a very similar question and he was curious if her answer would be different since Lord Xehanort had asked her this time.

Aqua could feel the building tears burning behind her cerulean eyes. She was afraid and the question had reminded her of her imprisoned master. The orange-eyed sovereign was preparing to uproot the seeds of righteousness Eraqus had diligently planted in her heart throughout her lifetime. She was terrified that he might be successful in removing the beautiful flowers of Light that he considered grotesque weeds growing in a perfectly good field that could be used for a vast, extravagant garden of Darkness.

With a quivering lip and tearing eyes she looked directly into the immoral eyes of the unquestionable ruler.

"I was raised on it," she replied gently but shakily as tears streamed down her creamy cheeks and onto the Overlord's gloved hands.

* * *

"Is she still a threat to us?" Xehanort asked as he stood before the two male Seer Sages with his arms locked behind his hunched back.

"Unfortunately," Zexion said flatly as he sifted through his massive book.

"I don't understand it. We have taken everything from her. We are rehabilitating her as planned. How can she still be a threat?" the slightly irritated sovereign rambled.

"I do not know the why, my Lord. I only know what could be," the gray-haired seer replied respectfully as he tossed his hair out of his face.

"Not all hope is lost. _Our_ Aqua is emerging as well, but we just have not been able to _completely_ remove the…_problematic_ Aqua from the future yet. That is all," the young Seer Sage continued confidently. The young seer was very optimistic despite the slight, momentary doubt he had experienced after receiving the questionable visions and memories from his salmon haired companion.

"She merely needs more time. We all knew this would take time and that she would be resistant," Marluxia added calmly as he peeled back his rugged jacket and placed his gloved hands in his pockets.

"I saw how she and Terra interacted today. That part of the process is playing out just as we hoped it would," the salmon haired seer mentioned with a menacing chuckle.

The monarch did not reply for a prolonged period of time. He simply sat in his throne and clawed vehemently at his arm rests.

"Very well," Xehanort relented to the seers' opinions, "Tell Vexen to proceed with the experiments as planned," The Dark Overlord stated with a nod.

* * *

Xion's fingertip slowly slid down the list of pending executions posted in the town of Karnak.

Karnak was one of the many towns Xion, Riku, Ventus, and Namine had visited since they left Amur. Karnak was an unusual and dingy town surrounded by towering burnt sienna walls. The abnormal town almost mimicked the architecture of a fort. Everything was some shade of umber or maroon and the streets were pure mud and dirt. The country houses and shacks that filled the suburb were beige with deep burgundy shingles.

Her heart beat boomed in her ears as she read the countless names of unknown strangers.

"She isn't on here," she announced as she released a breath she did not even realize she had been holding, "she isn't there."

Namine sighed in relief and let go of the raven-haired girl's hand as her feet shifted in the slushy mud she stood on.

It was a relief that Aqua was not awaiting execution in Karnak, but that also meant that she probably wasn't there at all. They had learned in the nearby town of Tule that Karnak had a small underground prison where those waiting to be prosecuted were sometimes held. The penitentiary was used to imprison as well as hold prisoners until they could be sent off to a larger, high-security prison, an execution, or sometimes even to Hollow Bastion.

"Do you think Riku had any luck in the prison?" the blonde girl asked as she adjusting the baby blue sweater she wore over her typical white dress.

The chill in the autumn air was intensifying and she was glad Ventus had encouraged them to buy warmer clothes before they left Tule. All the trees within Karnak were turning into rusty, Fall hues of orange, yellow, and red. Namine could not believe it was already Fall. Time had passed differently since Eraqus and Kairi were Purged.

"I hope so," Xion said gently as she pulled up her hood.

She was starting to regret the decision to only buy a fitted black hoodie and not pants as well. Her jean shorts were very cute but they were not very comfortable in the escalating cold.

The elfin girl with short black hair doubted Riku had obtained any luck. They had not had much luck since they left Amur. Only a few people would help them, everyone else was too afraid to aid them. They were asking questions that went against The Dark Rule and that was something that could get a lot of people into infinite amounts of trouble. The people who had offered them assistance could not provide much. All they knew was that the Dark Knights had headed North.

So that was what the group did too. They would stop in any and all towns that laid to the North, trying to follow a trail that had gone cold long ago. It was time-consuming. The group would figure out which towns to go to then they would actually have to travel there which took even more time. They would visit random towns and cities until they got a new clue, lead, or suggestion. So far everyone had kept telling them to travel North. Apparently, the Dark Knights did not make any pit stops.

"Is she on there?" Riku asked as he lifted his blindfold to inspect the lists. The dead, autumn leaves crunching under his feet as he positioned himself in front of the morbid indexes.

"No, thank goodness," Namine said as she rubbed her petite shoulders to fend off the cold.

"I'm guessing since your asking you had no luck in the prison," Xion stated as she looked over her shoulder at Riku.

"No. No one was down there except people awaiting execution or maybe trail in the Dark Capital if they are lucky," the silver-haired man explained as he walked to the wanted posters. The Keyblade master with icy eyes carefully inspected the notices and folded his arms.

Aqua was not on any of them, but Riku was.

"They are here too," Xion declared softly as she put a short strand of blackness behind her ear.

"Yeah. I figured they would be," Riku said bitterly as he reset the blindfold over his recognizable eyes and forcefully ripped his wanted poster off the building side.

During their journey North they had seen countless wanted posters of Riku throughout the small cities and metropolises they had visited. He was wanted for aiding Aqua. The posters simply called him a fugitive and traitor of The Dark Realm, but they all knew the real reason why they wanted him. They didn't even really want him, the posters only said they wanted him dead or alive. In The Dark Realm that meant they wanted you dead and you would be slaughtered one way or another. Either on the spot or after being taken to the Overlords for a reward.

The dark Keyblade master was officially a fugitive. Technically, they were all fugitives. Namine, Ventus, and Xion had just not gotten the official seal yet, but they were expecting it at any time. They all knew the risks that came with looking for Aqua and they had accepted them.

However, by searching for their cerulean friend they were able to stay on the move and had a better chance of avoiding capture or arrest. Riku wore his cloak and covered his pale eyes with a black blindfold to hide his unusual, identifiable features. Not many twenty-one year old men had silver hair and frosty blue eyes.

"Maybe we should consider some...outside help," the sixteen year old girl with black hair suggested, "Maybe The Opposi..."

"Shh!" Riku reprimanded her severely as he tightly covered her mouth with his gloved hand before she could finish uttering the blasphemous sentence.

"Do not even _mention them!" _he hissed coarsely. Just saying the name of the resistance group was punishable by death.

"But, Riku, maybe they could..." Xion tried again to reason with her silver-haired comrade once he liberated her mouth.

"They could get us into even more trouble!" he interrupted again. Riku knew The Opposition was not necessarily a _bad_ thing and that they were basically on the same side as them but they were a completely different kind of beast. One that Riku was not ready to get mixed up with.

"Are they bad people?" Namine whispered as faintly as she could. She was curious about the topic and she knew that Riku probably knew more about The Opposition than most. The resistance group was something that was only talked about in hushed tones and in shadowed alleys during the dead of night.

"I don't know for sure, but I do know that they are something we don't need to be talking about," Riku answered gruffly as he started looking over the wanted posters again, "Unless you _like_ having your tongue ripped out and shoved down your throat until you choke to death."

The sisters decided to drop the dangerous subject and help Riku take down any of his wanted posters that were scattered across town.

"Hey," Ventus greeted blankly as he approached his small party, slinging the mounds of fallen leaves as he walked.

The eldest sibling had just finished questioning everyone in Karnak that would speak to him. The quartet had obtained a routine during their travels. Namine and Xion would check the death penalty directories and wanted posters, Ventus would question townspeople and shop owners, while Riku would do sneakier, more hazardous work. At first, Riku had helped Ventus question the hoards of people but since they had been finding more and more of his wanted posters they had decided it would be best if he kept a low profile and did not speak to anyone unless he absolutely had to. As a result, Riku started doing things like eavesdropping on guards and infantrymen or busting into local prisons while the others did their jobs.

The Keyblade wielder with golden hair placed his numb hands in his jacket pockets. He was about to ask if they found any clues or had any news until he saw them staring intently at the wanted posters.

The blonde young man let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head, "More?"

"More," Namine replied solemnly as she played with the long sleeves of her sweater.

"Please tell me that _you _have good news," Riku stated dismissively as he threw his coal-black hood over his head in vexation.

Ventus frowned and shrugged.

"Same as always. They headed North," he revealed.

"Damn it," Riku hissed under his breath.

The silver-haired fighter was afraid of that. The farther North they traveled the closer they got to Hollow Bastion and the more dangerous their journey would become. They would be in the heart of The Dark Realm soon. They would no longer be in occupied or neutral provinces anymore. The close proximity to The Dark Capital was also causing Riku to think that they might have taken Aqua to Hollow Bastion.

"What?" Ventus asked as his brow rose and he stood at Riku's side.

"We are getting closer to The Dark Capital," he spoke in low, hushed tones. He did not want any unwanted, disloyal ears hearing him.

Ventus's blue eyes went distant as he stared at the muddy ground that made up the unusual streets of Karnak.

"Ven, if they took her to Hollow Bastion we are fucked," the dark Keyblade master announced bluntly.

They could go to a lot of places, but Riku seriously doubted they could just waltz right into the capital. Especially with him being a wanted fugitive and all...

"Language," the blonde Keyblade wielder chided as he gripped the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry," Riku apologized with a wince. He was not used to traveling with young women. "Seriously though. If they took her there..."

"We don't know that they did," Ventus interjected as he glanced back at his shadowy companion.

"No. We don't know that but the longer we travel north the closer we are going to get to The Dark Capital," Riku reminded him sternly.

"Lots of towns lie further North," the light Keyblade wielder argued dismissively as he peered up at the cloudy and smokey sky above them, "Besides, why would they take her _there_."

Riku wasn't sure why they would go through the trouble of taking someone like Aqua all the way to Hollow Bastion. If they wanted her out-of-the-way they could have just taken her to a local high security prison or simply executed her in Amur.

Most people who were Purged were not taken to the Dark Capital. They were usually taken to a detention center or executed in the town in which the Purge took place. Special, questionable, or undetermined cases received trials in Hollow Bastion, but trials were almost a thing of the past now. The Court did not even bother with trials much anymore. Everyone was merely guilty until proven innocent and people were rarely given the chance to prove their innocence.

Trials were often something that happened after an arrest during a Purge and Aqua was not Purged she was just...taken. And Riku really doubted they would execute her in the Dark Capital. Executions were often a way to make examples out of people and that wouldn't be necessary in Hollow Bastion. That place was crawling with completely loyal Dark Followers and they did not need to be reminded that traitors would be executed on the spot.

It was all inconsistent and confusing. Riku was from the Dark Realm himself and he still could not make sense or their tactics or the unique situation involving Aqua's abduction.

"I am not sure but we need to accept it as a possibility," Riku finally replied after his mind stopped racing.

After what happened in Amur, Riku was exceptionally paranoid. He would never forget how they had pinpointed their exact location and how quickly they had caught onto everything. The hooded young man would never put anything past The Dark Rule again. They may have caught him off guard once but he was determined to never let it happen again.

"We need to stay positive," Namine chimed in, "I doubt they would take her to Hollow Bastion. They don't really have a reason to take her there."

"Right. We haven't seen any wanted posters for her and we haven't seen her awaiting execution anywhere yet. So she has to be in another town," Xion said as she tried to convince the others as well as herself.

"We just have to keep looking for clues. They probably just took her to a correctional facility closer to Hollow Bastion," the raven-haired Keyblade wielder added optimistically.

Deep down Xion knew Riku was right. If Aqua was in The Dark Capital they were fucked.

* * *

Terra slammed the girl into a nearby wall as he forcefully shoved his hands up into her skirt and held her up by his powerful hips. Big, warm hands wandered over her hips and played with the fragile lining of her undergarments. Long fingers teased the shear lining as he grazed the back of his fingers along the top of the garment and taunted her by almost sliding his appendages down the front of the delicate article of clothing. As he continued to provoke her with his tempting hand, he ground against her lower body in a profoundly provocative manner.

She was a random servant girl who lived in the palace. She was a dirty blonde with wild, curly hair that fell just below her shoulders and caramel eyes. Terra did not know her name but her name was not important.

Her uniform was that of the typical servant girl within Tarnen. She wore black stockings that came to her thighs that were wrapped around Terra's bulky waist. The frilly, ebony apron she wore around her midriff was on the floor of her tiny, inadequate living quarters. The ruby dress she wore was short-sleeved and flowed just below her hips. The buttons that held the dress together at the top were about to get ripped open.

Gauntleted hands tore open the top of the garment causing the servant girl to gasp pleasurably. The buttons popped and clinked as they hit the dingy concrete floor of the girl's room that was located far on the other side of the luxurious palace.

"You can get another one," the warrior said in a raspy voice as he continued ripping the top of the garment apart so he could expose her chest.

The knight was not wasting any time. He did not have time to, if he was going to get back in time to retrieve Aqua from her lesson in the Grand Hall he would have to cut to the chase.

"I don't know how to remove your armor," the nameless girl admitted breathlessly in between moans as the youthful captain stripped her off the gray wall.

All that remained of the upper portion of her uniform was the feminine, slender tie that hung loosely around her neck and dangled between her bare breasts.

"It's ok," Terra replied blandly as he effortlessly sat her upon one of the counter tops in her tiny kitchen, "We only need the bottom portion off anyway."

He could see the disappointment on her flushed features. She clearly wanted him to remove everything. Terra could tell that the servant knew that him only removing the bottom part of his armor meant that he wanted this to be quick.

She was right to assume that he wanted this to be swift. He did not have time to be thorough. The main reason he was doing this was to end the torment he went through nightly with a certain Child of Light. Terra was sure if he were sated physically it would put an end to this ridiculous _infatuation_ he had with her.

The Dark Knight reached up into her short skirt again and yanked her undergarments off her stocking covered legs while the girl held onto the cabinets over her head as he removed the obstruction.

The blonde woman grabbed his face once he finished and pulled him to her face. She was about to kiss him when he jerked and moved to her stocky neck instead. For some unknown reason he did not want to kiss her on the lips.

_Afraid of being unfaithful, pretty boy? Don't want to cheat on your white whore? _a voice that sounded a lot like Vanitas mocked from inside his head.

As he devoured the blushing flesh of her neck he began to think that he _might_ have slept with this girl before. The subtle, sporadic freckles that marred her skin were vaguely familiar. He had probably kissed her the last time they were together and he had probably been much more tentative. That would explain her obvious disappointment with his haste.

Thick short fingers tangled in his brown hair as he continued to ravage her balmy neck.

_She is warm. She isn't cool and refreshing like…_

Terra bit the girl's neck before he could finish the stupid thought that threatened to make itself known inside his mind.

The servant girl moaned and pulled at his chocolate locks as he continued to gently gnaw at the tender spot between her shoulder and neck, trying his best to make it appear as though he had bitten her on purpose.

His lips traveled lower over her pronounced collarbone as he began discarding the lower segment of his armor. The earthen male licked in between and over her breasts as he continued to wrestle with the armor that covered the bottom part body.

Once all the barriers had been removed he grabbed the blonde's bottom, pulled her toward him, and tilted her body so she was basically hanging off the counter. Terra needed to get just the right angle before he entered her properly.

He might be in a hurry but he was not about to get sloppy.

Haughty hands lifted and pushed the bottom of the dress up her hips so the garment would not inhibit his movements. The curly-haired girl willingly spread her legs and gripped his armor-plated shoulders as she waited for him to act.

Terra licked his suddenly dry lips and looked at the girl in front of him. Her big doe eyes were hooded as she stared up at him and ran her hands over the back of his solid neck. His chest started to burn and ache as his hands twitched on her nude hips.

_Just do it! _

The bronze knight slowly lifted her by her hips.

_Come on, Terra, don't be a pansy! _

He buried his face in her neck, but she did not smell like lavender and jasmine…

_You have to!_

He brought her to him and pushed against her womanhood.

_You will never be free of this sorceresses' curse if you don't! _

But he could not do it. Terra could not fuck this girl. Suddenly, it was abundantly clear that fucking her would not fix a thing.

"Is something wrong?" the anonymous girl asked when she felt him hesitate and pull away from her entrance.

_Yeah. Something is definitely wrong. _

Terra growled and put his forehead on her shoulder in frustration. He began to sweat as the ache in his chest intensified and his breath became shallow and hastened.

"Fuck!" he hissed as he practically threw her back onto the counter.

"Terra?" the servant examined him and her face turned bright red from the awkwardness of the situation.

The young man swallowed hard, "I-I'm sorry. I-I can't."

This was a conversation he _never_ wanted to have with a woman. The worst part was it wasn't because he couldn't perform physically. it was because he couldn't commit to the _deed_…emotionally.

"Oh," the nameless servant said as she shamefully covered her chest," Did…did I do something wrong?"

_No. I am obviously the one that did something wrong. _

"No," he answered emotionlessly as he ran his hand down his slightly sweaty face.

Terra bent down and began redressing the lower half of his body. It was degrading on so many different levels…

As the embarrassed, blonde servant jumped off the counter, the brunette leaned over her kitchen sink. He felt like he might get sick.

Terra had felt guilty. He actually felt as if he was being…unfaithful. Those were just two of the many reasons he could not perform, but what was making him physically ill was the fact that he had realized that he had wanted the blonde girl to be…Aqua.

The Dark Knight wanted her dirty blonde hair to turn blue, her caramel eyes to transform into cerulean orbs, and her freckled skin to mutate into flawless porcelain.

"Do you want some water?" the half-naked servant asked softly as she placed a hand on Terra's broad back.

"No," he spat as he vigorously pulled away from her touch.

She frowned and her hand quickly retracted as if he had scalded her.

"I have to go," Terra started to apologize but no words would ever be able to make up for the immense amounts of embarrassment she probably felt.

The warrior grabbed his discarded helmet and busted through the small one room accommodation the girl inhabited. His breathing was uneven as he dashed through the substandard, homely wing of the palace where the servants lived.

As he ran he began asking why. Why him? What had he done to deserve this kind of torture? Was the Light punishing him? Just because Terra did not follow or obey the Light did not mean that he didn't believe in it. He knew that the Light was very real. Maybe this was divine punishment for all the dark endeavors he had committed since a very young age?

Perhaps it was worse than that. Maybe the Darkness was displeased with him. Maybe he was being punished for caring for a Child of Light? Could the Darkness be disciplining him for his impudence, for being weak and letting the Light sorceress bewitch him?

Terra did not make it far before he had to rest his back against the charcoal, concrete walls of the impoverished extension of Tarnen Palace. The navy-eyed man pounded his head against the hard, frigid stonewall as he mentally chastised himself. He battered his _obviously_ empty head until he was on the verge of giving himself a concussion.

The man clad in darkness grabbed large fistfuls of his chocolate-colored hair and pulled at his roots until he almost yanked every single hair out by their ends.

The male Keyblade master had been wrong. He had been _very_ wrong. His body did not purely crave flesh, he was not simply infatuated with Aqua, and he didn't just care about her. It was something much more sinister. It was something that made his chest a swarming inferno and made the blood-pumping organ inside his chest sting in unnatural ways.

Terra might…maybe he…no…he did…he loved her…he was in love with Aqua.

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Alright I have had a few questions about Aqua's powers and her training with Terra etc. I promise WE WILL GET THERE! Keep in mind that the bad guys are trying to keep her from being talented until they are sure it can work in their favor. So they are not going to allow her to gain new abilities etc if they think it is going to come back and bite them. I have tried really hard to make really smart, clever, and seemingly invincible villains. Again I want this story to be realistic in every aspect. I just want to ask you to continue to be patient with me and to trust me. I know I have a weird vision and that I have created a bizarre universe but hopefully you enjoy the story anyway! Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! **_


	13. An Attempt to Tip the Scales

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. I own nothing!

**Chapter 13**

**An Attempt to Tip the Scales**

"You smell funny," Aqua complained as she walked with Terra through the dimly lighted hallways back to his accommodations.

"I am sorry my fragrance offends you, my lady," Terra ridiculed emotionlessly as she watched him shift uncomfortably within his armor.

"You smell like…really expensive…really pungent...perfume…" the cerulean maiden thought out loud before gasping, "you smell like a girl!" she exclaimed as she realized the source of the aroma.

"Never mind! Never mind! Forget I said anything! I don't want to know!" she shuttered as she covered her blushing face with both of her elegant hands.

The Dark Knight said nothing.

The Light Keyblade wielder knew Terra had a reputation around the palace but that didn't make smelling another woman on him any easier. She understood that he was a twenty-one year old male with...needs but the thought of him doing _stuff _with someone else still made her uneasy.

"Please, just wash it off before bed," Aqua pleaded uncomfortably as she wrinkled her nose at the girl's strong lingering odor.

"You got it," again Terra submitted coldly.

Apparently, he was not in the mood to argue with her. For a guy that just got laid, Aqua noticed that her guardian was being uncharacteristically glum and brief. He was not speaking unless spoken to and when he did speak he spoke in curt sentences. Not that it bothered her.

The brunette's strange behavior continued even after they returned to his living quarters.

"What is wrong with you?" she finally had to ask. She was starting to worry that something bad might have happened to him or maybe he had gotten some bad news about her rehabilitation.

Had she done something that would get her in trouble? Or maybe he was hurt? Maybe Marluxia had hurt him more than he let on the other day.

Terra was silent. All he did was drearily remove his gauntlets with detached eyes.

"Terra," the azure woman spoke a little louder, but he did not hear her. The downcast warrior only continued to remove the upper sections of his armor in a daze.

"Terra!" she finally yelled.

"Huh? What?" the knight finally answered with a jump as he clumsily dropped a piece of golden armor.

"I asked if something was wrong with you," Aqua reiterated softly as she watched him with worried eyes while he bent over and struggled to pick up the chunk of protective covering.

"What?" Terra replied as his brow furrowed, "No. No," he shook his head as his back straightened and put the illusive piece of armor back onto the mannequin.

"Marluxia didn't hurt you the other day did he?" the Child of Light questioned as she held the banister of the canopy bed.

"No," the bronze warrior scoffed arrogantly.

"Am I in trouble or something?" the aquamarine girl asked as she rested her cheek on the mahogany wood.

"No," he repeated vacantly.

This was starting to annoy her.

"A-are you mad at me?" that question slipped out before she had the chance to stop it.

"Don't be stupid," the earthen male grumbled and rolled his midnight blue eyes as he removed his massive chest plate.

Terra was right. She was being stupid. It didn't matter if he was mad at her or not.

Silently, the navy-eyed young man continued to remove the upper portion of his armor while Aqua sat on the foot of the lavish bed. Once he finished he propelled himself face first onto the bed.

"Terra?" the cobalt Keyblade wielder inquired as she placed her hands on the neatly made bed and leaned toward the motionless knight.

"Hmm?" she heard him faintly mumble into the thick covers he was suffocating himself with.

"Can I take a bath tonight?" the icy young woman asked gently and reluctantly as she desperately tried to calm her coiling nerves.

For the past few weeks Aqua had been trying to reestablish her connection to her magic while she showered. Her time behind that shower curtain was one of the few times she got any time to herself. The problem was that it did not last long enough for her to make any real improvement.

Terra was a lot of things but stupid was definitely not one of them. If she stayed in the shower too long he would grow suspicious of her. So she couldn't spend enough time trying to regain her magic. The ethereal maiden was making little to no progress.

Aqua knew if she could convince Terra to let her take a bath she would have more time and might be able to develop an immunity to the magic suppressant she was given monthly.

The blue-haired girl had noticed a pattern with the suppressant over the past few months. The magic suppressant would wear off after several weeks. Her body would regain its natural chill again and it would try to reestablish the severed connection on its own even without her help.

At first she thought it might have been a fluke. The first night she had _cuddled _with Terra for warmth, the knight had explained that her body was fighting the suppressant and that it was desperately trying to regain what it had lost…her magic. Before she tried anything she wanted to be sure that the same thing would occur every month and it had.

It was a long shot, but Aqua was pretty sure with some time and practice she might become immune to the suppressant. Even if she couldn't gain an immunity perhaps she could at least learn to use _some_ her magic with it in her system. Maybe she could break the pain barrier so that she could withstand the pain of conjuring.

_'Mm hmm, it is the point at which pain becomes so excruciating that the suffering begins to diminish.' _the blonde Elder had said.

The aquamarine female was about to give up on her hopeless quest to recover her magic until she had heard the card dealing man speak of pain barriers. It was just the motivation she needed to not give up. It convinced her that such a seemingly impractical feat could in fact be possible.

_If Dark Knights can do it I am sure I can. Maybe my lesson with Luxord wasn't a total waste after all. It encouraged me to break my own pain barriers, _she thought mentally.

She needed to act soon. Terra would be taking her to Vexen any day now and she had to practice while she had the chance and when the suppressant was at its weakest.

"You have gotta be fucking kidding me," the moody warrior said dejectedly as she observed his bulging muscles ripple and tense.

"What do you think this is? A spa?" he proceeded to protest as he held his head up and looked at her.

"If this place is a spa, it is the worst spa ever," the cerulean Keyblade wielder countered as she crossed her arms, coaxing a dark laugh out of the brooding man on the bed.

"Aqua, I barely have the patience for your lengthy showers much less a full-blown bath," the earthen male fussed as he folded his arms under his brown head.

"Patience is a virtue," the ice-blue young woman chided lightheartedly, reminding herself of Master Eraqus.

Terra laughed again, "Patience has never been _my _virtue."

"Please, Terra," she implored sweetly with pleading eyes after he stopped laughing at her.

Aqua was willing to beg if it would convince him to let her take a bath. She was even willing to play nice if it would get compliance out of him. She might even flirt a little if it would persuade him.

"Seriously? Are you actually begging?" Terra complained as he propped himself up on his elbows and peered back at her from over his muscled shoulder.

The young woman nodded innocently and she allowed herself to gaze into his indigo eyes. The sky blue girl would tolerate the discomfort to win him over. She would do whatever it took.

"Alright," he submitted as he removed himself from his enormous, ruby bed and headed toward the bathroom.

Relief flooded her heart as she quickly got to her feet and scurried after Terra. His unusual dismal mood had made him much more lenient and she was glad she had waited until tonight to ask him for a bath.

She smirked proudly at how well she had played him. Aqua had taken full advantage of the situation and she was quite pleased with herself.

"Will this take long?" the gloomy captain groused as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger.

"It will if you keep complaining about it," the elegant female almost teased as she pulled the shower curtain back and began filling the oversized tub.

"I hope you are going to put that thing back," Terra grumbled again as he inclined his head in the direction of the curtain.

"Don't be stupid," she actually did tease him that time and she placed her hands on her hips as she mimicked his statement from earlier.

"Ah ha! You're hilarious!" the temperamental man countered sarcastically as he leapt onto the sink's granite countertop.

Terra was definitely in a perplexing mood and the sapphire maiden couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with him.

Before the water got too high Aqua slipped off her shoes and lifted her lengthy skirt so that it would not get wet in the rising water. After the cerulean eighteen year old was sure she was behind the safety of the curtain she removed her clothes and dropped them to the ground outside.

Once her clothes were gone she looked at her bandaged wrists and repressed a sigh. Slowly, she started unraveling the white bindings she wore around her joints to hide the disgraceful scars. They did not hurt anymore but she still hated seeing them. Aqua despised her permanent, scarlet bracelets. If Terra hadn't caught her deceitful wrists she might not even be here right now. Inspecting the disfigurements always reminded her of how she had failed.

The Child of Light took the removed bandages and added them to her pile of clothing.

"I should probably get you some warmer clothes," the man with chocolate-colored hair called over the sound of rushing liquid.

"That would be nice!" she called back as she began sinking into the lukewarm water. Aqua did not want the water too warm. She needed to get as close to her element as possible but she still needed to create the illusion that she was taking a warm bath.

"You probably don't even get cold naturally but I will go into town and get you some anyway," Terra responded and she didn't have to see him to know that he was shrugging.

Pearly teeth chewed her pale red bottom lip. The female Keyblade wielder probably needed to keep him talking. The unarmored knight might not get as impatient or keep as close a watch on how long she had been in there if he was thinking of other things.

"What are Larxene's powers like?" she asked the first question that came to mind as she used her foot to turn off the surging water, "I learned what Marluxia can do first hand and I have seen Zexion get visions and write in his book but I have never seen Larxene do anything other than…"

"Be a bitch?" Terra stated impassively and she heard his metal heels bashing against the wooden cabinets below the sink.

"I wasn't going to say that," Aqua responded before she completely submerged herself into the slightly warm water.

"Think of Marluxia and Larxene as…Yin and Yang. Push and pull," the contemplative warrior disclosed earnestly.

"You learned the other day that Marluxia can pull. Well Larxene can push," he continued to explain.

"Push?" the aquamarine female inquired as she hurriedly washed her body so she would have more time to condition herself.

"Yes. The seeress can project thoughts and visions into another person's mind through somatic touch," the youthful captain described as Aqua heard him playing with objects on the granite sink.

"As you know Marluxia only hurts if you resist him but Larxene hurts regardless," she heard him continue as she began making a gag out of a washcloth. If she whimpered or screamed from the pain she did not want Terra to hear her. She could not get caught.

"Does it hurt worse than…Marluxia's pulling?" Aqua asked honestly.

She genuinely wanted to know. It was hard for her to imagine something worse than Marluxia's barbed tentacles.

"It is hard to compare them because they are two completely different forms of suffering," the shirtless brunette on the other side of the curtain answered, "Hopefully, you will never have the privilege of comparing them."

As Aqua bit her homemade gag and began trying to freeze the surface of her bath water her mind began to wander. She had always assumed Terra had always had a privileged and pampered life of luxury, but hearing him talk about the pain he had endured from the seers made her wonder if his life had actually been that easy.

She removed the washcloth from her mouth when she realized that she could cast without experiencing the intense pain she felt a few days ago when Terra had encased her in earth. Enough time had passed and the pain was not excruciating.

"Were you a practice dummy or something?" the girl with baby-blue eyes asked after she had attempted to cast a _very_ feeble version of Cure onto a gash that rested on her leg. It was one of the several she had received during target practice.

"No. They just have a dark sense of humor and they get a sick thrill from toying with people," Terra confessed.

Aqua was not surprised by that. She had spent some time with the Seer Sages and they were not the most pleasant people to be around.

_I guess Terra isn't **that** bad. He could have been a lot worse anyway…_

"Has Larxene pushed lots of images into your head?" the cobalt-eyed girl continued to question. Her Cure spell was basically nonexistent and failed to mend the wound. She was realizing that mini Blizzard was all she could muster.

_This is pathetic, Aqua. You won't be able to accomplish any form of escape with this frosty garbage, _she scolded herself as well as her pitiful display.

"Mm hmm," the off duty knight in black armor muttered, "There have been many occasions where I have been required to receive visions from her in order to conduct specific Purges and assignments."

That statement made the sapphire Keyblade wielder wonder if that was how their little _romance _was sparked.

"Is that how you two…got together?" she suppressed a chuckle as she created icy claws on her fingers.

Her ice was faulty. The claws of frozen water were brittle and dry. The frost claws quickly turned to dust and dissolved off of her milky fingertips.

Terra kind of laughed, "We are not about to talk about my love life."

"Oh so you loved her?" Aqua giggled and taunted as she rubbed her aching arms. She had probably reached her limit and she doubted she could do much more without causing some permanent damage.

"No. I don't think I did," his tone was suddenly very serious again and the girl with indigo hair had to peak around the wine red curtain at him.

The Dark Knight looked _so_ melancholy. The young woman would even venture to say that he appeared downright defeated. It was as if he had accepted some horrible fate or that he had just reached an appalling conclusion.

"I'm ready to get out now," the azure female stated as she stood up and began letting the now chilled water out of the massive Jacuzzi like tub.

A desolate sigh sounded from the other side of the drapery and she knew he had gotten up to get her towels.

Timidly, Aqua peeled back her curtain and watched him. When he turned their eyes locked and she faintly smiled and for the first time since he came to get her in the Grand Hall his eyes brightened. His expression softened and one side of his mouth curved into an almost smirk or maybe a smile.

Terra closed his royal blue eyes, held his head to the side, and opened the towel for his captive. The sopping girl emerged from behind the curtain and stepped into the towel that was spread out for her. Midnight blue eyes opened and he calmly helped her wrap the gray towel around her feminine form. When his toasty hands slid over the curve of her waist and hips Aqua's heart clenched and she held her breath.

As she continued to hold her breath, the cerulean girl adjusted the top of the towel into a secure knot as Terra placed a second towel over her head. Mischievously, he began to roughly shake her hair and head as he pretended to dry her cobalt tresses.

The breath she was holding exploded out of her lungs as she started to crack up, "Terra! Stop it!" she squealed as she held her head down in an attempt to get away from him.

"What? I can't understand you?" the earthen warrior teased and chuckled as he continued to harshly toss her hair in all different directions.

'_What was that? I couldn't hear you,' _he had said.

Their momentary fun was ruined when his words suddenly reminded her of her capture in Amur. He had said something _very_ similar when she had told him she would go with him and wouldn't fight him…right before he proceeded to butcher her wrists.

"Okay. That's enough," the wintery young woman said firmly as she bristled. She could not see but she felt him stop.

Tenderly, he held her chin and tilted her head up. The towel was slowly pulled back to reveal her damp face. Terra held the sides of the towel that framed her innocent face. Their blue eyes had connected again. Aqua gazed down into his endless spheres of despairing royal blue and she found that couldn't look away.

_Terra looks…heartbroken?_

The Child of Light smiled brilliantly at him. She couldn't stand for anyone to be that sorrowful. Even if it was Terra, she wanted to try to cheer him up a little. But her smile did not cheer him up; he only sighed, shook his head, and left the room.

Did she do something wrong? Her guardian usually liked it when she smiled at him. At least she had thought that he did…

* * *

"Where are you going?" the bronze warrior questioned as he placed one of his hands his armor-plated hip.

"To the Grand Hall?" Aqua hesitantly answered. Obviously, that was not where they were going today.

"No. We are going to see Vexen first," Terra stated as he snapped his fingers and motioned for the ice-blue maiden to follow him.

_I swear he never tells me anything. _

The watery girl was glad that she had decided to act when she did. Once Vexen gave her the magic suppressant it would be a while before she could even think about using magic again. Honestly, with the Seer Sages around Aqua was afraid to think at all...

"It's a bit early isn't it?" the cobalt Keyblade wielder inquired.

"A little. But you aren't just getting magic suppressant today," the brown-haired knight replied flatly.

Terra's peculiar mood was a bit better that day than it had been the day before but he was still a bit…off.

"Have they finally decided to euthanize me?" Aqua kind of joked. She probably shouldn't fool around with things that could easily become a brutal reality.

"Maybe. I didn't ask," the warrior responded as he knocked on Vexen's door. The cerulean maiden detested this room.

"Come in," the crazed scientist called from inside the lab like room.

The young woman could hear the bubbling test tubes and the clinking of vials before she ever entered the room.

The man with royal blue eyes opened the door for his unwanted responsibility. Reluctantly, the girl entered and her examining table was cleared off for her.

Aqua's nose wrinkled in disgust.

It did not matter how many times she came in this room to get these repulsive shots, it never got any easier.

"Do you want to sit up or lay down for your blood draw?" Vexen asked as he began arranging his lengthy needles and vials on one of the metal counters in the bizarre room.

"Neither," Aqua answered much too quickly.

"Terra, I am not doing this," she added, as she glanced back at her false knight in shining armor.

The young man groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, "We have been through this."

"I am not used to him putting stuff _in_ my arm much less taking stuff out of it!" Aqua complained as she stared at the lethal looking needles the mad scientist was sterilizing. The lunatic in a lab coat enjoyed his profession way too much.

"We can do this the hard way or we can do this the easy way. As always, _Blue, _its your call," Terra spat as he removed his gauntlets. He was preparing for a struggle if it came to it.

The Light Keyblade wielder didn't like the way he called her Blue. She didn't necessarily mind the nickname he had given her but she did mind the way he had said it.

"He isn't taking my blood," The young woman challenged as she shook her head back and forth.

The sapphire girl didn't know what they wanted her blood for but it couldn't be anything good. She had seen Vexen setting up his microscope and the crazed look in his feral, jade eyes. They were going to examine it and do Light knows what else with it…

"Alright," the brunette said with a groan as he bent over and grabbed Aqua by her legs and hauled her over his armored shoulder.

"No!" she shouted as she bludgeoned his steel-plated back and shoulders to no avail.

"Vexen, strap her feet. I'll hold her arms," Terra commanded sternly as he toted the girl with cobalt features to the morbid examining table.

"Last chance to behave," he heeded once more as he patted her backside.

Aqua hated how easy it was for Terra to take control. She wanted to freeze his armor and shatter it to vulnerable chunks but she couldn't. The Child of Light had to wait for the perfect opportunity. If they found out she could use her magic they would increase her dosage and she would be back to square one.

The female Keyblade wielder continued to struggle and fight in spite of Terra's latest offer. She had made up her mind that she didn't want to be poked and probed. It would happen anyway but she didn't want anyone to ever accuse her of not trying after she was dead.

_No. Don't think like that. You are going to get out of here. You are going to escape and you are going to save Kairi and Master Eraqus. And you will see Xion and Riku and Namine and Ventus and even Sora and Master Yen Sid again. You will. You will, _she assured herself as she was forcefully slung onto the metallic table and the breath was harshly knocked out of her.

Heated hands shackled her to the frigid surface and the knowledge-based Elder quickly strapped her feet to the other end of the table with thick umber restraints.

"Terra," she pleaded weakly as she arched her back and squirmed against the wintery table. The side of her face accidentally grazed against his exposed forearm and it was surprisingly comforting.

Her knight did not utter a word, but he began stroking her pinned wrists with his thumbs.

"Terra, please," Aqua begged once more but he did not let her go and she realized this _was_ going to happen. She could not stop it. She had done all she could.

After releasing a subdued sigh, the azure young woman closed her dazzling eyes and rested her cheek on the Dark Knight's warm skin and waited for the assault to commence.

Raw fingers that were not Terra's began to trace the tender, pulsing veins on the inside of her arm. Cobalt orbs squeezed tighter when the sound of Vexen tapping the walls of the needle's tube violated her ear canals. Sapphire locks sprayed everywhere as she tossed and turned a bit more before she nestled her face into the knight's arm once more. Somehow the heat managed to calm her.

Suddenly, the grotesque needle was inserted into the vein in her arm. It scraped and tore at the tender tissue and nerves around the puncture point. Aqua winced and bit her lip as she rested her cheek on the tanned flesh of the bronze warrior's forearm.

"He is almost done," Terra announced gently as he continued to softly stroke her forearms and wrists with this fingertips.

Aqua nodded against his tanned hide as she continued to squeeze her dazzling eyes tightly closed.

The needle retracted after what felt like ages, but the aquamarine girl knew that the torture wasn't over yet. She still had to receive her injection of magic suppressant.

Slightly parted eyes observed Vexen swiftly moving to the other side of the table, his white coat flapping behind him like demon wings. The scientist roughly inserted the thick, pea green fluid into her bloodstream with a much too stocky needle.

The azure maiden had begun hating what happened after the suppressant was administered more than the actual injection. She could get use to the pricking and tearing of the muscle, tissue, and nerves in her arm, but the seizure like tremors that went through her body immediately afterward never got easier. Her body had adjusted to the shot itself and the noxious fluid inhabiting her body, but not what occurred directly after it was inserted into her bloodstream.

Terra lifted her head and sat next to her on the table and laid her head back down on his lap. The young woman rolled onto her side and tightly wrapped her arms around her waist while her head rested on the knight's welcoming lap.

The night after she was taken to Hollow Bastion and was given magic suppressant, the substance had not tortured her body as it did now. The longer it was inside her body the more her body rigorously fought the initial invasion. It was a disturbance. A disturbance that kept her body from doing what it had done for years. Aqua didn't want to know what kind of long-term side effects could surface from the deadly toxins the magic suppressant contained swimming through her body.

Burning, chunky liquid traveled through the veins and arteries in her arm and slithered to the vital organ in her chest. Aqua violently shuttered as the heat spread and clashed with her natural body temperature.

When the cerulean Keyblade wielder closed her eyes she felt Terra gingerly stroking her hair. His thermal fingertips caressed the corners of her face before they glided back down into her azure tresses. She relaxed a bit even though her body continued to savagely tremble uncontrollably.

After spending immense amounts of time with the dark Keyblade master, Aqua had learned that he was not one for verbal apologies, but she knew that he was apologizing to her now. Each caress was a silent apology and for some stupid reason she accepted each one.

"Figures," Vexen huffed as he held his eye to the microscope.

"Hmm?" Terra's voice vibrated against the metal of his helmet as he continued to use his fingers to brush through her unique hair and press lightly at her hairline.

Aqua glanced up at him as every inch of her body quaked. She could not see his handsome eyes, but she could tell that even though he had answered he was still fixated on her. The girl wanted to take his helmet off.

"Her blood isn't as exposed to necromancy as her sister's but this one is _extremely _responsive to the mystical arts and extraordinary sorcery," the convulsing girl could barely overhear Vexen's assessment.

_Wait. Did he just say I was more magically inclined? That's not right. Kairi was always the prodigy. Right? _Aqua began to mentally question herself.

_Maybe you were just always too afraid of The Dark Rule to really try. Kairi was never afraid, _a voice much like Xion's answered her inwardly.

Another fierce tremor brought the aquamarine maiden out of her contemplation.

"I-I feel sick," Aqua mumbled as she slowly sat up.

"Vexen, get her something!" Terra commanded as he compassionately rubbed soothing circles on her shaking back that was covered in goose-flesh.

As soon as the bedpan was in front of her she lost it. Everything she had eaten for breakfast was aggressively heaved from her distressed stomach.

The nauseated young woman coughed and spat into the silver bedpan as her guardian lightly held her hair back for her.

"Vexen, this is getting worse," the man clad in black armor stated and Aqua thought she might hear some worry in his unwavering voice.

Terra was right. It was getting worse. The suppressant caused different side effects each time it entered her body, but as long as it wore off at the end of each month Aqua would tolerate the other inconsistent, worsening side effects.

"The prisoners seem to manage," the green-eyed Elder said dismissively, "it shouldn't kill her."

_Prisoners? Are they giving this junk to Kairi?_

"It is none of our concern anyway. She wouldn't have to have this done every month if she would simply cooperate and not act like a damn heathen," he added venomously as he continued to inspect her blood.

Maybe being more submissive wouldn't kill her…maybe if she played her cards right she could avoid having these_ lovely_ shots each month…

* * *

Cerulean spheres stared blankly at the cascading, overlapping canopy of crimson above the bed. Her brown-haired caretaker had actually left her alone while he went to converse with the Dark Overlords. Aqua still wasn't allowed to listen to them scheme about her rehabilitation, but it did seem like Terra did somewhat trust her to be alone. That or he trusted the guards outside…

"The Overlords want to see what your made of today," Terra said casually as he tossed Rainfell's charm onto Aqua's toned middle.

She had been so zoned out she hadn't even heard him return. She had no idea how long he had even been in the room.

"Are you serious?" the sapphire maiden exclaimed as sat up and held her precious Keyblade's talisman to her chest. She was so happy she could have kis…hugged him.

"Yeah. I'm serious," he replied as he placed a fist on one of his hips.

Aqua was excited and terrified at the same time. She was ecstatic that she was going to get to do something other than eat, bathe, sleep, and receive lessons. Then she was terrified or what "seeing what she was made of" entailed.

"I'm rusty," the icy Keyblade wielder admitted softly as she summoned Rainfell to its proper form.

The leathery hilt felt like absolute heaven in her hand. An old dear friend had returned to her, an old dear friend that she had missed desperately. As she held Rainfell she was reminded that being a Keyblade master was her true calling. It was what she was made for. It was her destiny. She was not meant to be just a wielder but a full-fledged master like…like Terra.

"I am sure they aren't expecting you to be very good anyway," the earthen Keyblade master said condescendingly with a shrug.

"I am not that bad!" Aqua argued as she got on her knees on the tidy bed, "I fended you off didn't I?"

Terra laughed uproariously.

"What is so funny?" the irritated maiden hissed as she crawled across bed toward him.

"That you think you stood a chance against me," he bellowed again after finishing the sentence.

"I busted your helmet," the woman with indigo locks reminded him as she sat up and crossed her arms.

"I still caught you," the knight countered as he straightened his gauntlets.

"I'm still faster," she challenged as she continued to fold her arms over her supple chest.

"I'm stronger," he smirked and took a step toward her.

"I'm better at magic," Aqua bragged as she watched his indigo eyes begin to smolder.

"I have more stamina," Terra boasted as he removed his helmet, tossed it on the bed, and continued to close in on her.

"I have more vitality," she parried with a cocky head tilt.

"Prove it," the bronze warrior taunted seductively as his heated breath crawled over her slightly parted lips.

Aqua accepted the challenge and tried to hit his jaw but he grabbed her fist.

"No fair! I'm not even off the bed yet!" she whined as she tried to free her hand and get onto the carpeted floor.

Terra laughed genuinely as he continued to hold her small fist in his large palm, "Then you shouldn't have attacked until you got onto the floor!"

Aqua admitted it wasn't her most brilliant moment but she had just gotten so caught up in the challenge and the tense yet thrilling suspense their special personalities had created that she hadn't thought things through like she normally would have.

Without hesitation the cobalt girl summoned Rainfell to her free hand and struck at his head.

"Whoa!" Terra called as he ducked and blocked the attack with his ironclad arm.

This time the aquamarine female didn't delay at all, she instantly pivoted and countered. Rainfell bashed against the armor-plated arm Terra was using as a shield. She wanted to prove her point that she was indeed faster than him.

The brunette fended off the indigo Keyblade and reeled backward but Aqua did not falter. Her baby blue eyes shone with confidence as she stood gracefully with unmatched amounts of poise.

"Rusty huh?" the youthful captain questioned with a winded chuckle before he rushed at her.

Aqua had expected him to call for his massive Keyblade but he didn't. Terra was leaning toward hand-to-hand combat even though she had called forth Rainfell. Then she realized he was probably trying to prove that he had more stamina.

The girl yelped as Terra tackled her to the bed.

"No! Terra! You don't fight fair!" she protested as she fell onto the oceans of red and writhed beneath his weight.

"Oh, its fair!" the warrior argued as he chained her wrists to his bed, "if I can do it," he said with a grunt as he struggled to pin her wrists, "its fair!"

"Dark Knight logic," she scoffed and rolled her sparkling azure eyes as she tried to find a way out from under him.

As her mind raced she realized how close they were to each other and how he was in between her squirming legs. Her vibrant skirt had even gotten pushed up over her thighs. She repressed a fierce blush as her body continued to rub and brush up against his protective covering.

"Give up yet?" Terra asked as he flashed his most charming smile.

"No," the female Keyblade wielder huffed as she tried to kick him off of her, "you do realize if I had my magic, this would be over."

"I can use magic too, you know," the navy-eyed man reminded her as he pressed himself against her until their faces almost touched.

"We have already discussed this," Aqua replied breathlessly, "I am better at magic."

With as much strength as she could muster she dug her knees into his stomach and rolled out from under him.

"Ah ha!" she cried victoriously as she stumbled away from the bed.

Her victory was short-lived when she heard Terra snarl and jump to his feet. Savagely, he grabbed her wrists and spun her around so that her back was facing him. The warriors chiselled chest was completely compressed to her back and before Aqua could protest he had pushed her against the nearest wall. His chin rested on her shoulder and his face was all over her neck and jaw. She could swear that she could almost feel his searing lips graze the sensitive skin of her ivory neck.

She shivered.

"Ok. Ok. I get it," Aqua muttered as she vigorously fought the unusual, animalistic sounds that threatened to erupt from her throat from feeling Terra against her like that. It was…provocative and it made her feel funny and uncomfortable. Her stomach twisted into tight, unalterable knots.

"You win, Terra! You win!" she yelled as her wrists and arms began to hurt from the firm hold he had her in.

The dark Keyblade master liberated her bandaged wrists and Aqua massaged her sore joints.

The shadowy knight cleared his throat, "I'll change into my practice clothes, and then we can leave."

* * *

"Like the sweater…thing?" Terra asked softly as they made their way through the gloomy gardens behind the palace.

"Yeah," Aqua replied honestly as she inspected herself, "you did a really good job picking it out. I couldn't have done much better myself."

The cerulean girl was being genuine when she spoke of the garment Terra had gotten for her due to the changing seasons. It was white, of course, with a wide neck that showed off some of her porcelain shoulders. The article of clothing was shorter in the front and showed off a bit of her well-muscled stomach while the back of the garment fell to an proper length. Its sleeves were long but she had rolled them up since it was not that cold that day. Plus the recent dose magic suppressant was giving her hot flashes. Despite that the attire was perfect for the current climate and her personal taste. Terra had clearly based his decision off of her summer garb.

_He did the right thing, _she thought with a smile.

Her guardian had bought her another skirt as well but she didn't change into it. It wasn't that she didn't like it; she just wanted to keep some of her old life with her. Aqua wanted to hold onto what little she had of her former self so she continued to wear her long, sky blue skirt.

When the Dark Knight and the Child of Light reached the training field the Overlords, a few Elders, and the other Dark Knights were already there.

The knights were sparing while Xigbar, Xaldin, and the High Elders watched. Vanitas and Demyx were scraping with Roxas while Axel chucked chakrams at a Claymore wielding Saix.

_I guess Ansem and Saix are back from the prison they went to. _

"You're late," Xaldin chided blankly from his place next to the Overlords as he held his hands behind his back

"I am aware," Terra said, as he stood upright and bowed elegantly.

Not wanting a repeat of what happened last time she was on this field, Aqua gracefully inclined her head forward. It was not a real bow or anything but it seemed to pacify everyone.

"We got a bit…sidetracked. You have my sincerest apologies," the powerful captain replied properly.

The aquamarine young woman's face heated when he said sidetracked. She knew what he was talking about. He was talking about their _playful_ spat. Her cheeks grew even hotter when she remembered their close proximity and the way he had pressed his entire body up against hers. How she had lost her head and gotten so caught up in their carnal vehemence that she had almost moaned when Terra mounted her against the wall.

"Did you return her Keyblade to her?" Lord Xehanort asked as he stood to address them.

The head knight nodded.

"Good. She can observe sparing for a while so that you can receive your proper practice then she can participate after you have finished the required conditioning," the bald High Elder responded as he motioned for Aqua to take a seat next to the younger Overlords.

As always she did not want to but she did not have a choice. The cobalt girl was outnumbered and outmatched. So she went to the vacant seat by Ansem, Xehanort had pointed to.

Diligently, Aqua watched the knights spar. For the first time she noticed that only Vanitas, Terra, and Roxas were Keyblade Masters. The others used other forms of weaponry.

Adrenaline rushed through her magic suppressant filled veins and her palms sweated in anticipation. It had been way too long since she had practiced and truly wielded her Keyblade. Aqua didn't care that she had to spar with the knights. It was worth it to be able to sharpen her skills.

"Um…" the Light Keyblade wielder hesitantly spoke up and looked in Xehanort's direction. She had a question and she didn't really know whom else to ask.

"Yes, child?" he said with deceiving amounts of kindness as he gazed down at her with toxic yellow-orange eyes.

"Terra, Roxas, and Vanitas are the only Keyblade Masters, right?" she asked in a low tone.

"Yes, they are the only ones other than myself," Aqua's heart plummeted into her gut. She had forgotten that he wielded a Keyblade. Eraqus had told her that several times but she had forgotten somehow.

"You're up poppet," Xigbar announced with an amused grin.

"We know that you are a magic based wielder," Xemnas stated, "but that is not an excuse. There will be times that magic cannot save you and you should not heavily rely on it."

"You will be observed as if you aren't magic based," Ansem finished for Xemnas, "However, we are feeling gracious today and we have asked the knights to avoid magic use."

After she got her lecture, Aqua silently descended onto the practice field and braced herself for whatever the menaces could dish out.

First, she went up against Axel. The fiery knight was supposedly somewhat magic based as well so he only used his spiked chakrams. The cerulean maiden was not used to fighting an opponent like Axel but she managed. Once she caught onto his fighting style she was able to maneuver around his attacks and keep up with him. The man with bright green eyes was fast and coordinated but he was not as strong as Terra. His attacks were not as intense or as overbearing but with weapons like his he didn't need to be.

The Light Keyblade wielder was forced to spar with each of the knights individually just as she had with Axel.

Aqua had a strategy as her opponents changed. She was very evasive and practiced defense as she figured out each of their unique fighting styles. After she had memorized their preferences she would then go on the offensive. She never won but she did manage to keep them on their toes until she yielded.

Vanitas and Roxas were the worst. It wasn't much of a spar with those two. Aqua was mainly trying to avoid getting injured. She didn't doubt for a second that Vanitas would intentionally harm or kill her and play it off as an accident. It was an intense struggle to keep up with their uncanny skill and speed. Reluctantly, she had forfeited both spars after a few moments of experiencing their extreme advances.

They saved Terra for last. She shouldn't have been surprised. Of course they would wait until she was exhausted to put her up against the leader of the Dark Knights. The shirtless knight in his loose, beige training pants smirked as he encircled her like a hungry predator.

"You know you can just forfeit now and no one would blame you," he taunted as the huge Keyblade appeared in his large hand.

Aqua didn't answer. Baby blue eyes followed him attentively as he encircled her. They had the same strategy. Neither wanted to be the first to act. He wanted to feel her movements out just as she wanted to become familiar with his. The girl knew that Terra was not patient. The bronze warrior would cave if his impatient manner got the best of him, so the ethereal girl simply waited for him to crack.

Eventually, just as she had anticipated, Terra did crack and began striking at her relentlessly. The brunette was using her exhaustion against her. Aqua was impressed with how calculated he was even though he did not have to be. He could clearly rely on his inhumanly savage strength alone. However, The navy-eyed man was not the mindless brute she always thought he was. He was actually very clever and shockingly meticulous when it came to his opponents. Terra would search for a weakness and he once found it he would exploit it.

As they sparred she noticed there was something off about his attacks. If she didn't know better she would have thought he was holding back. Terra was putting forth just enough effort to win. Aqua knew that he was capable of much more. She had been on the other end of his attacks before but the ones he demonstrated now were definitely subdued.

The oversized Keyblade struck the back of her leg as she attempted to dodge his most recent strike. She was getting tired and she had lost a lot of her speed and grace. A shrill cry escaped her lips and she fell to her hands and knees. The instant she collapsed a firm, heated hand harshly grasped the back of her neck.

"Yield," Aqua surrendered as Terra held her down on all fours.

The hand retracted and was then held out in front her. Instead of giving him her hand she slammed her bandaged wrist into his opened hand.

Terra chuckled, "Still hate touching me huh?"

"Yes," she replied between breaths.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked as he lifted her to her feet and inspected her injured leg.

"You're always hurting me. What difference does this time make?" Aqua snapped at his absurd concern. Since when did he care if she was in pain?

Her eyes fell to the ground. She didn't want to look at him…it was still something she vigorously tried to avoid but it was getting harder for her to not peer into his striking eyes. The girl with indigo tresses found herself succumbing to the midnight blue depths much more often than she cared to admit.

"That is enough for today, Terra. We have witnessed as much as necessary," Lord Xehanort said as he waved his hands from them to leave.

They clearly wanted to discuss matters without her present. The ominous men wanted Terra to take her away.

"Let's head back," the earthen male whispered as he held her by her forearm and tugged her back toward the palace.

"Bye, Aqua," Roxas mumbled with a smile as they passed him.

"It was fun sparing with someone _else_ for a change," the dual Keyblade master teased as he punched Terra in the shoulder. The older knight chortled and tossed Roxas's hair much to the sixteen year olds displeasure.

"Do you think they will let me practice with you again?" the cobalt-haired girl inquired as she walked with Terra back to his quarters.

"Probably, but it will likely be a gradual thing. You have to earn their trust," the youthful captain answered as he glanced over at her.

_That and they probably don't want me getting too strong, _Aqua mentally added.

She sighed, "It's better than nothing I guess."

When they finally reached Terra's room Aqua collapsed onto the sumptuous bed. She was spent and she was already looking forward to going to sleep. The young woman grabbed the imitation peacekeeper's pillow and burrowed herself into it, taking a deep breath so she could pick up Terra's smell. His aroma was like anesthesia to her…probably because she associated the fragrance with sleep.

"Put your Keyblade's charm back in the bedside table's top draw," her warden demanded sternly as he vanished inside his bathroom.

With a frustrated sigh, Aqua sat upright on the bed and glanced over at the bedside table that usually had a padlock on its top drawer. The blue-haired young woman summoned her charm, crawled to the other side of the bed, and pulled the large drawer open.

What she saw inside made her stomach lurch and her breath hitch. Tears filled her cobalt eyes as she reached for the objects inside.

Kairi's good luck charm and her Keyblade's paopu fruit talisman were both inside the storage compartment lying innocently on top of other countless objects.

"Hey, if your hungry I thought we could go piss off the cook and steal some of the food that he has prepared for the Elders," Terra said as he rubbed the accumulated sweat off his neck and shoulders with a small gray towel, "or if you want we could go into town and…"

Aqua interrupted him by holding the helpless charms between her slender fingers so they dangled out in front of her.

"Where did you get these?"

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Ok time to address the elephant in the room. I did purposely leave Terra's point of view out of this chapter. Why? Because I'm a jerk and I am a terrible author! Ok seriously this time...I left his point of view out because number one I wanted to keep everyone guessing on how he will react to his realization and what he is going through his twisted head. I wanted to portray him from only Aqua's point of view. Number two, I wanted to commit to Aqua and her inner struggles. I felt that I needed to solely address her for a change. We all basically know how Terra feels and I have kind of given his take on everything so far but Aqua has not been confronted as much. I assure you there is a method to my madness! Also, Kairi's Keyblade charm is the one off the Keyblade she used in KH II and you can look if up if you need to. And now I digress. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_


	14. The Less You Know, the Better

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. I do not own anything.

_With bloodshot eyes I watch you sleeping _

_The warmth I feel beside me is slowly fading _

_Would she hear me if I called her name?_

_Would she hold me if she knew my shame?_

_There's always something different going wrong_

_The path I walk's in the wrong direction _

_There's always someone fucking hanging on_

_Can anybody help me make it better?_

_-Tears Don't Fall, Bullet for my Valentine _

**Chapter 14**

**The Less You Know, the Better**

"I took them," Terra confessed. He saw not point in lying to her.

Dazzling cobalt eyes observed at him as if he was a monster. They're right to observe him in such a manner, but it still hurt.

"Why?" the cerulean maiden asked, feral emotions swirling within her eyes.

Aqua could not figure out why she was surprised by this ghastly discovery. Nothing Terra did should surprise her. Had she forgotten who he was? Why did she feel betrayed? It was absurd!

"Because I was told to," the Dark Keyblade master replied with a shrug.

That was how things had always worked. He followed orders. The Court and the Overlords would tell him what to do and he would do it. No questions asked. It was what he was programmed to do.

"You know where my sister is!" Aqua screamed. She had lost control of her spiraling emotions. She was angry, hurt, and sad all at the same time.

"I never said that I didn't," the bronze knight said calmly.

Terra's temper was virtually nonexistent lately, towards Aqua at least. It had vanished with the cruel realization that he loved her. His temper was still very present with everyone else. The earthen warrior was sure it could easily resurface if she pushed him enough, but it definitely took a lot more for him to finally lash out at her.

"I have only said that I cannot tell you where she is," Terra added as Aqua tightly held the precious charms in her hands until their firm metal grinded fiercely into porcelain flesh. If she squeezed much tighter she would draw blood.

"Sora," she mumbled incoherently before she closed her eyes, making her dark lashes brush her cheeks. Cobalt eyes desperately fought the tears that threatened to flow out of them.

"What?" he inquired with an irritated shake of his head.

"Sora. Kairi gave this charm to Sora," the aquamarine female spoke a bit louder as she opened her distant, burning eyes.

"And your point is?" the annoyed man asked as one of his dark brows rose to his forehead.

He _really_ didn't want to be having this conversation. The knight didn't want to fight and he didn't want her mad at him, again.

"You know where Sora is too," Aqua spoke to him as well as herself. She was not asking; she was sure the deceitful man knew where both of them were.

"If you are talking about the annoying kid from Twilight Town, then yeah I do," Terra continued to confess guiltlessly.

"Why did you take these?" she screeched again while she shook the charms at him.

"I already told you! I was ordered to!" the Dark Knight repeated loudly. He was not yelling out of anger, he yelled so she would take the hint that he didn't want to discuss it. It would be better if they didn't discuss it.

"That isn't the answer I want!" the azure Keyblade wielder yelled.

"Fine! I took your sister's Keyblade before she was placed in the correctional facility!" the young man caved, "And I took the charm away from the kid when I went to the prison he was held in!"

He couldn't hold in in anymore. If she wanted to know so badly he would tell her.

Aqua did not speak. Her vacant eyes went distant and she rushed out to the balcony. She didn't want to hear anymore and she could not stand being near him.

"Is that what you want to hear, Aqua? Do you want to hear about the horrible things I have done?" he almost scolded while he chased her out onto the patio. Once he started talking about these things he found that he couldn't stop. She had provoked him and now he was going to make her listen.

The cerulean captive sprinted away from him until the balcony's high, stony railing halted her advance. The rock railing was cold from the chill in the autumn air but it did not hurt her when she touched it.

"Do you want to know how I took that charm from the boy because I wanted to break him? It meant a lot to him. It was written all over his stupid face, so I took it from him to fuck with him. We needed his spirit broken, so I helped break it," the knight divulged while he watched her grip the objects in one hand and claw the railing's surface in the other.

Truthfully, he was ashamed. Aqua brought forth dormant emotions in him that he had forgotten a long time ago. Terra was actually ashamed of his actions and he didn't want her to think badly of him.

Perhaps the guilt was what made him confess things that he would normally never speak of again. Terra usually left the past in the past. It didn't matter anyway, right?

"If you want all the gory details of all the horrible shit I have done in my twenty-one years we can go on forever! But I have a feeling you don't want to know all that. I knew that you didn't want to hear about me getting those fucking charms either but _no!" _the male spat as he threw his bulging arms into the air in complete vexation, "You just had to know! I knew you didn't want to hear it before you did! I tried to spare you!"

"Where is my sister?" Aqua asked again once she was able to get a word in.

Again, she did not look at him. Instead her sky-blue eyes watched the thriving, prosperous city below her. The children laughed and ran through the sectors that were dimly lit by towering street lamps. Couples held hands and whispered sweet nothings to one another. These otherwise touching scenes did nothing but anger Aqua further.

Kairi should have a life like that. Sora should have a life like that. All Children of Light deserved the same freedoms and carefree lifestyles as the people inside the Dark Realm. It was not fair! While Sora and Kairi rotted in some prison these people lived normal happy lives. While Aqua was corrupted and remolded from the inside out, they laughed, played in the sun, and frolicked in noxious flowerbeds. It made her ill.

Ice accumulated on the already cold surface of the thick, hand crafted stone railing. It should hurt. It should cause her extreme amounts of agony and discomfort but it didn't. She fought the suppressant in her veins and casted frost from her hands anyway. Her heightened emotions allowed her to…her rage numbed any pain she would normally feel. Aqua's inner blizzard was going wild as she thought of Terra harming Sora and her sister, as she watched the Dark Followers below her, as she thought of the overwhelming injustice of _everything_ around her.

"I am not telling you," Terra said harshly as his eyes bore holes into her rigid back.

Aqua was the manifestation of frozen resentment. Everything about her body language screamed discontentment, bitterness, and displeasure.

"Why not?" she pleaded.

The azure woman swiftly spun around to face the shirtless knight. Her eyes filled with clear fluid and a tear traveled down her cheek as she tried to blink away the anger and pain.

_You have to let go of this blossoming fury, Aqua. Remember, that is what they want. They want you to give into it, to rely on it. The Overlords want you to succumb to anger and hatred because it will lead you astray. It will summon the Darkness, _a voice much like Master Eraqus's kindly reminded her.

"Because, I guess I _am_ the monster you always make me out to be," the earthen Keyblade master replied as he tried to repress the pain that surfaced inside his chest as the words fell from his tense lips.

He failed. What was meant to be an emotionless statement turned into a whiney complaint. Terra wanted to punch himself in the face for allowing his inner conflict to get the better of him.

The Dark Knight knew it was true and that was why it hurt. He was a savage, a brute, a demon…a monster. Terra was all those things combined and she hated him along with all that he had done. Aqua thought he was a monster. She could tolerate the torture he dealt her daily. The girl he loved might forgive him for all he had done to her, but he doubted she would ever forgive him for hurting those that she loved.

"I've never called you a monster," the aquamarine female said mildly as she began to repress her twisting, dark feelings that threatened to manifest within her pure heart.

Terra walked to one of the corners of the railing before he held his head down and grabbed large handfuls of his dark brown hair.

"You didn't have to," he replied and shook his head.

_It is written all over your face. You don't have to say it. You…you're too nice to say it…in spite of everything…your kindness…your light…your light won't allow you to condemn me, _Terra chastised himself.

The Child of Light glided over to him and stood silently behind him. With skeptical eyes she watched him.

Her anger had melted away. She could never hold onto her rage and anger for long. It was against her nature. Eraqus had always thought her to resist emotions that would beckon the Darkness…but she could tell she was slowly losing the fight…the Overlords, the Elders, and their lessons were gradually breaking her resolve…months ago she would have_ never_ relied on rage and loathing to fuel her powers…

"Terra," she beseeched him. Aqua tried to reach the tiny flickering light that lived within the deep sea of blackness inside of him. Terra was a monster…but for some foolish reason she could not give up on that light she had seen only a few times. The Light that convinced her that he wasn't hopeless. Terra might be a monster but he wasn't irremediable…not yet...

Tentative fingers reached out for him. With immense amounts of uncertainty Aqua placed her hand on his bicep, "Please."

"Look," the warrior uttered softly but he did not turn to face her, "I haven't seen your sister since I started watching you. But the last time I saw her she was okay," it was not a _complete_ lie. Kairi _was_ okay the last time he had seen her, but he seriously doubted she was okay now.

"Even spunky was okay," he added another almost lie, "They are just imprisoned."

"Alright? That is all you're getting out of me!" Terra snapped before he spun around rapidly so he could scowl at her.

Like a frightened animal, Aqua's hand retracted as quickly as it had descended onto his tainted form.

Roughly, he wiped his mouth as if acidic bile had surged from his lips with the blasphemous, traitorous words he had reluctantly uttered.

"Are you hungry?" the bewildered knight hissed as he leaned against the stone wall that surrounded the balcony. He wanted the tension to leave and he really wanted to change the subject.

"I-I guess," the maiden said gently before she gently laced her elegant fingers in front of her.

She was actually starving but she didn't want to tell Terra that. Even if she weren't hungry she would still want him to go get some food so she wouldn't have to be around him or look at him anymore. Aqua wasn't angry anymore but she was definitely sad and hurt. She didn't want _anything_ to do with her _guardian_.

"I'll go get us some food. What do you want?" he asked, his voice still quivering with irritation and disgruntlement. Terra had to get out of this Light forsaken room so he could get a hold of himself.

"I don't care," Aqua responded as she took her perch on the stone fencing that encased the patio.

Aqua started to ask if he was leaving her alone but he had stormed out of the room before she ever had the chance to question him. Clumsily, she jumped from her roost and scurried to the door to see if he had left it unlocked. Shaking hands grabbed the doorknob of pure gold and turned it, the door _was _unlocked.

The Light Keyblade wielder made a quick mental note that he did not always lock the door when he exited. The knowledge might be useful later.

"Terra's orders, he wants extra guards to patrol this hallway as well as the area below his balcony," a gruff manly voice bellowed down the hallway.

"Ugh!" Aqua cried in frustration as she forcefully slammed the slightly cracked door shut and rammed her back against the ruby wood of the door.

Why did he always have to think of everything! Why couldn't he be stupid or careless! Why did he always have to read her mind! Why did he always have to be one step ahead of her!

* * *

On his heated journey to the palace kitchen, Terra realized that being away from_ her_ wasn't making his life any easier. She still filled his thoughts and he still felt guilty, ashamed, and most of all angry. His anger was not directed at the watery maiden though, it was directed at himself.

Every time Terra made some form of progress with Aqua, every time he thought she might hate him a little less, something would always happen to ruin it all. The knight was right back where he started, fuck, he might even be farther back than where he started. No, he wasn't back to where he started but he was close.

It was lunacy to think that he could convince her that he wasn't horrible. It was idiotic for him to think that one day she might not hate him. It was moronic to think that they could be anything other than enemies. The feelings Terra possessed for the Child of Light were doomed before they ever truly existed.

As Terra sulked and stomped to the kitchen a voice called after him, "Terra!"

With a deep inhale followed by a violent exhale he turned to face the voice, "Hi, Axel."

"Jeez you look terrible," Axel announced once he caught up with him and was able to get a good look at his comrade.

A brown brow rose. Terra hadn't even bothered to look at a mirror lately, so he had no way of knowing how he bad looked. Suddenly, his appearance didn't matter that much anymore, it never really mattered that much to begin with.

"Thanks," the youthful captain replied coldly as he glared at the vermillion carpet under his feet.

"What is your deal lately?" the redheaded man continued as he began inspecting his foster-brother, "You are never around anymore. You are quiet and distant when you _are_ around and look like you haven't slept in ages."

"You know what my deal is! It's…_her_!" Terra countered while angrily pointing in the direction of his bedroom for emphasis, "I am not around because I am always having to deal with _her_! I am quiet and distant because I am pretty sure I am going mad! And I look like haven't slept in ages because I _haven't_ sleep in ages!"

"I thought you said she was a better bed partner now. You said you two had gotten better sleeping habits," Axel stated in a puzzled tone as he scratched the back of his fiery head.

"We have but-but…" the bronze knight couldn't do it. He couldn't tell him the real reason he wasn't sleeping. Terra couldn't tell anyone that…not even Axel. It would be the ultimate disgrace to admit that he loved her.

"But?" the green-eyed knight coaxed and leaned toward his old friend.

"Nothing," Terra countered before he turned around, again commencing his trek to the kitchen.

"This obviously isn't 'nothing'. Terra, I hardly recognize you," Axel admitted reluctantly, he was afraid of how Terra would respond.

"Axel, I barely recognize myself anymore," the earthen male responded blandly, his hands running down his face.

"You can trust me. Whatever it is you can-,"

"No! I can't tell you," Terra snapped as he held his hand up to silence Axel, "Because if I tell you, you will tell Roxas. Then Roxas will tell Demyx by accident because Roxas can't keep his hole shut and then Demyx will tell everyone."

The bronze knight knew he was being harsh but that was how things worked. If Terra confided in Axel, or anyone for that matter, everyone would know about it by day's end. Terra trusted Axel but Axel did have a bit of a big mouth.

"Look I am just worried about you. Being cooped up here all the time would drive anyone crazy," Axel said as his index finger scratched his temple.

_So that is what they think. They think I am getting cabin fever in here? Ha! I wish. _

"I mean you went from traveling the world to staying in Hollow Bastion everyday to babysit. Honestly I don't know how you do it," the man with jade eyes admitted as he continued to scratch his head.

Terra had been afraid that Axel was catching onto his feelings toward a certain girl but he was relieved to find out that he only thought he was going stir crazy.

"It hasn't been easy," the brown-haired male stated truthfully.

"Hey," Terra added with false cheer as he glanced up at Axel, "Want to come with me to get Blue some food?"

The navy-eyed warrior still couldn't call her by her first name around anyone else. Such conduct would surely raise suspicion. No one needed to know he was on a first name basis with his captive.

"Is that why you are out here?" the lanky knight questioned while he looked around.

"Wait!" he quickly added with a jump, "You left her alone?"

"Shut your mouth!" Terra demanded as he held Axel's big trap shut, "I left guards with her. Trust me, she isn't going anywhere."

"How can you be so sure? You said yourself that she wasn't just spirited, she is smart too," the fiery male was skeptical.

"Exactly and if she is smart she will know that she can't get out of here. The sense of hopelessness has finally set in and she knows what will happen if she tries anything. It has been drilled into her so much she has to believe it," the captain explained, "I've watched her accept it."

"If you say so," Axel complied as they finally continued walking toward the kitchen.

Once the knights entered the kitchen, Terra realized he didn't even really know what Aqua liked to eat. He had a vague idea but he was still a bit unsure. From their time together he noticed she had a preference for fruit and lean meats. She didn't really care for vegetables or wine and she liked to drink water.

The palace kitchen had way too many options and Terra was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the options. It occurred to him that he didn't really have to choose; he could simply take her a bit of everything and let her pick out what she wanted. Then he could watch and he could figure out what she liked so that he would be sure the next time he got her food.

"Get me a pitcher of water," Terra commanded Axel, he knew for a fact that Aqua would want water.

While Axel filled a pitcher of water, Terra began filling a bag with fruits he had seen Aqua eat. After he found all the ones that she would definitely eat he grabbed a few other types of fruit in case she was in the mood for diversity.

"Is there any turkey meat or some form of chicken in here?" the brunette asked as he began sifting through the massive spread the cook had created for the Elders' dinner later in the night. There was so much food on the massive table in the center of the enormous kitchen Terra was sure they wouldn't notice the little he was going to steal for Aqua was missing.

"No but they have ribs!" Axel called excitedly before he began to devour a rib he had ripped off the practically still in tact pig carcass.

"Don't mind if I do," the red head mumbled through a mouth full of tender meat while he began putting more of the rack into a bag for himself, "I am glad I decided to come with you. This trip is already worth it!" he continued as bits of rib flew out of his mouth.

"Will the _ice princess _want some ribs?" Axel asked playfully as he shook the meat at Terra.

"No, she doesn't like that kind of meat," the head knight began to ramble while he continued to ravage the cabinets, "she actually doesn't care for meat much at all."

The jade-eyed warrior reeled backward.

In the sixteen or so years that Axel had known Terra he had never seen him so contemplative over a girl's needs. In fact, he had never seen him so concerned about a girl at all.

"Are you sure there isn't something you need to tell me?" the fiery knight asked before he firmly crossed his arms over his chest.

"No. Why?" Terra asked as he inspected the food he was planning on giving to Aqua as a peace-offering.

"Oh nothing I have just been noticing a pattern," Axel said dismissively, "Are you even getting food for yourself?"

"No. I will probably just eat her leftovers," the bronze knight continued to answer although his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"Terra, you don't even really like fruit," Axel added but Terra didn't answer, he was too wrapped up in finding food that the abductee might want.

"So you are putting her needs ahead of your own?" he spoke a little louder to grab his friend's elusive attention.

The other night at the Fall Banquet Terra had said that Aqua always looked nice but Axel just dismissed it. The man with green eyes thought that he was only saying that because he was drunk. However, Terra was clearly sober now and the bizarre behavior toward the blue girl was continuing. There was too much smoke for there not to be a fire...

"What are you driving at, Axel?" the navy-eyed young man asked with a raised, suspicious brow.

"Nothing. Lets just get out of here before the cook starts chunking his knives at us like he did last time he caught us stealing food," Axel said flatly before he picked up his small bag of ribs.

* * *

When Terra got back to his room after he and Axel parted ways, Aqua was exactly where he left her. She sat on top of the oversized, stone railing with her hands held in her lap and her head turned toward the infinite horizon that was blackened by the dead of night.

"Truce?" the unarmored knight asked as he walked onto the balcony and held out the bag of food.

Bright cobalt eyes that glowed in the blackness peered over at him, "Truce," she unwillingly relented with a melancholy sigh.

Aqua didn't want a truce but she didn't really want to fight anymore either, so if Terra wanted a truce she would give him one.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted so I brought you a bit of everything," Terra announced, "you can even eat out here if you want."

"Oh. Thanks," the cerulean girl replied softly as she jumped off the ledge.

"You haven't chopped up some innocent kids to feed me have you?" she spat as she cynically examined his offering.

"Don't be mean," Terra snapped as he snatched the bag of food away from her hands.

"Fine," Aqua said mercifully before she snatched the bag of food and began examining its contents.

"I brought some water for you. Do you want me to bring it out here?" the man with midnight blue eyes inquired.

"Sure," the young woman replied sourly as she sat down on the patio and began preparing her plate.

"I wanted whiskey but I couldn't find any," Terra babbled while he poured them both some water, "The cook likes to drink almost as much as I do."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Aqua asked coldly as she found a small container of cherries. She was not amused.

"Maybe," the shirtless warrior hissed before he crossed his arms in irritation.

After his several failed attempts to melt her icy resentment, Terra didn't try to talk to her anymore. From experience he knew she would warm up to him when she was ready to, so he just watched her eat while he slowly drank his glass of water and sat across from of her.

The knight found that he was content just watching her do the simplest things, like eating and sleeping. He liked watching her eat just as he liked to watch her sleep. Terra watched her closely and observed which foods she had a preference for. Ironically enough Aqua didn't like the blueberries, but she did gravitate toward the raspberries frequently. The aquamarine Keyblade wielder ate a few cherries, raspberries, a several tiny pieces of chopped mango and watermelon before finally picking at an apple.

"I can't finish it," the azure woman stated as she held the apple out to him, the excess apple juice dribbling off her tempting lips.

Terra didn't want the fucking apple but damn did he want to lick every single drop of that juice off those flawless, pink lips…

Once he stopped staring at her supple juice covered lips he decided to take the apple anyway. It was the first form of communication she had offered and he wasn't about to turn it down. When he reached for the apple their fingertips touched and Aqua quickly looked in the opposite direction. The connection lasted but a moment before Terra swiftly severed the connection.

Aqua watched Terra's large mouth open and take a massive bite out of the apple's crimson flesh. His bite was much bigger and was much more brutal than her daintier bites. One of the Dark Knight's bites made up almost three of hers. The instant she saw the juicy apple's fluids flow out of the fruit and down his strong chin, the cobalt-eyed girl remembered she still needed to wipe her mouth.

"Earlier you said you could talk about the horrible things you have done forever," the Light Keyblade wielder mentioned as she elegantly wiped her mouth with one of the napkins Terra had packed for her.

"Mm hmm," the young man mumbled while he continued to consume the apple.

He was handsome. The sapphire maiden had to admit it as much as she hated to. His tanned skin reflected the pale moonlight in unusually appealing ways while his navy eyes almost vanished within the night's lingering gloom. Terra's chocolate-colored tresses framed his strong yet sincere face perfectly as his jaw moved and ground the apple inside his mouth. The knight's dark features were as attractive as they were malevolent.

"Do you regret any of it?" Aqua finally acquired the courage to ask, her nerves were coiling and her heartbeat was quickening.

Terra had to think about it. The warrior thought of the time he had engulfed an elderly man's beard in Dark Fire until the hair was singed off his charred chin. He thought of the time he had held a man's face in his hands while he casted Dark Fire until the man's face morphed into an unrecognizable mask with lopsided eyes and his lips melted away, giving the man a permanent toothy grin. His mind even recalled the countless times he had effortlessly popped peoples' skulls like balloons between in his bare hands. The times he had smashed heads with his metal feet like others would smash pumpkins or watermelons for fun.

"Dark Knights don't regret anything," he answered, his eyes detaching as his mind continued to filter through the countless wretched deeds he had committed.

"Your eyes say different," the indigo woman replied confidently while she gazed into his orbs of royal blue. She could see his eyes swimming with turmoil and contemplation as they lost focus on the physical world.

The captain of the Dark Knights hated how she had gained the ability to see right through him. It was one of her many talents, but the regret she thought she saw was not for the man with the beard, the man with the deformed face, or the endless hordes of Terra's other victims…it was for her. The regret was for her and her innocent wrists…if he regretted anything it would be the things he had done to her.

"Can we talk about something else?" Terra tried to change the subject before he took another savage bite out of the harmless apple.

"Sure," the blue maiden replied with a gentle nod even though she wanted to pry a bit more, but she could tell he was on the verge of yelling at her again. She decided to pick her battles…

"You did good at practice today," the earthen Keyblade master complimented as he finished up the apple.

Aqua smirked, "You held back."

Terra started to choke on his last bite of apple. A tightly clenched fist pounded his chiseled sternum as Aqua giggled into her dainty hands.

"I did not," he coughed roughly.

"Did too!" the young woman with sapphire hair argued fiercely.

"Maybe I did. So what?" the knight rasped before he collapsed onto his back to avoid the pending conversation.

"So…I don't think you are as bad as you pretend to be," Aqua challenged while crawling to his side and looking down at him.

"Oh yeah?" he glared at her, "Well what do you know? You're just a stupid Child of Light." He was getting defensive.

"You mistake kindness for weakness," the cerulean Keyblade wielder stated tenderly as she gazed down at him.

Terra didn't utter a word; he only held his mouth in a tight line while he glared daggers at the innocent sparkling stars in the blackened abyss of the night sky.

"You do," she chided delicately as she lightly placed her feathery fingertips on his clenched jaw and tilted his head toward her so that he would look at her, "don't you."

It was a valid argument. Terra would give her that, but he wasn't about to listen to such nonsense so he just scowled at her.

"You all do," the watery maiden said with a sigh before her fingertips retreated and she cursed herself for the slight void she felt when her skin left his. Her body frequently betrayed her when it came to Terra. Perhaps that was part of the reason she hated touching him so much, maybe she was terrified that she might like it….

_No! Aqua, don't be stupid! Just because he is good-looking doesn't mean that you would automatically like touching him. That is ridiculous… _she thought as she too laid on her back and watched the shimmering sea of stars above them.

They didn't go to bed, instead continued to have lengthy conversations about nothing for hours.

"You love raspberries," Terra divulged, the black sky was turning orange as the sun gradually began to rise in the distance.

"They are ok," Aqua replied indifferently as she glanced over at the man who laid on the balcony flooring beside her with his powerful arms behind his head. When did he start noticing such insignificant things?

"Then why did you eat so many?" the knight questioned, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Kairi smells like raspberries," the aquamarine woman revealed before she yawned, "They reminded me of her…so I ate more of them…"

That statement almost forced an apology out of Terra's unwavering throat. Maybe he did regret things…maybe Aqua was right…

The Dark Knight rolled onto his side and looked at the cobalt-eyed girl. She was about to fall asleep. He assumed it was almost five or six in the morning by now.

_She needs to get some sleep before I have to take her to Xaldin…or is it Xigbar…oh fuck it…_he thought as he tenderly scooped the dozing girl into his arms.

Aqua grumbled and shifted a little before she fell back into the clutches of slumber against his chest. It didn't matter how many times he picked her up or if she was awake or asleep, she always gravitated toward the natural heat that radiated off his tanned flesh.

_He is always so warm..._

"Terra," she muttered deliriously against his chest and inhaled deeply, "you-you smell like cinnamon…"

Terra scoffed.

"Cinnamon, huh?" he answered her even though he knew she would have no recollection of his conversation.

"Mm hmm and…and h-honey," Aqua prattled irrationally while Terra pulled back the covers of his bed and gently laid her inside of them.

"It-it's weird…but…but I-I kind of like it," she continued to rave as she melded into his bed and the man with deep midnight blue eyes swaddled her securely underneath the mounds of blankets.

During the time he spent watching her drift off into a more permanent sleep his mind began to stray. He knelt by her side of the bed and rested his head on his arms that he folded onto the bed next to her while he silently watched her sleep. It absolutely astounded him that this trivial young woman had such an impact on him by doing so little.

Terra had, had sex with many women, but nothing could compare to the intimacy he felt by simply sleeping next to Aqua. All those nights with other women put together could not match the amount intimacy he felt with just one night of Aqua sleeping peacefully on his chest…

The knight couldn't live like this anymore. He needed to get her out of his room _and_ his bed before he did something he would regret.

* * *

Jidoor was definitely a nicer town than Karnak, but the citizens of Jidoor were not nearly as friendly or as helpful.

Unlike Karnak, Jidoor actually had cobblestone streets and nice buildings, _very_ nice buildings.

Jidoor was a rich town full of aristocrats, peddlers, and wealthy, arrogant citizens. Jidoor's money and connections had saved it from occupation and martial law. The town was able to live inside the Dark Realm but held the rights of a town located further south, away from the Dark Realm and Hollow Bastion.

Because Jidoor was unoccupied but still resided within the Dark Realm, Riku had suggested they start their first, but he was starting to regret the decision to do so.

"Take that beast to the stables!" a man with lengthy, luscious blonde hair dressed in long, expensive sepia robes commanded as he pointed harshly at Snow.

"Poor Snow," Namine, whispered while hugging the white chocobo's long neck, "he never gets to go anywhere."

"Snow gets to go everywhere. He just can't go inside the towns," Ventus mentioned as he helped Namine off the oversized bird's back.

"Its not fair," the blonde girl said, brushing Snow's feathers as she spoke, "he helps us and we always put him in stables or leave him in the woods."

"I think he will forgive us," Riku stated coolly before he grabbed the unique chocobo's reigns and led him to the town's overpriced stables.

Namine and Xion had wanted to bring three more chocobos from their home as well but Riku quickly nixed the idea. Although they would be able to travel faster, chocobo's could draw unwanted attention, not to mention they were munny guzzlers. It cost munny to feed them and keep them in stables.

However, Snow was an exception. Snow was a feral chocobo that Aqua had tamed herself on one of her many journeys to other provinces and towns. Since Snow was not the typical domesticated, yellow chocobo, he did not require the vast amounts of feed or gysahl greens domesticated chocobo's needed to survive. The white chocobo with blue tipped feathers could easily live off the land and didn't have to stay in the stables to avoid getting eaten or stolen. Truth be told, Snow was not too friendly when it came to strangers, the oversized bird might appear tame but he still had feral roots and could easily still be considered dangerous. Riku had learned that the hard way when he tried to leave Amur with the stubborn bird.

"Two hundred and fifty munny for the chocobo to stay in the stables," an elderly man with a jagged beard and sandy blonde hair said before he spat into a nearby pot.

"Gross," Xion cringed and Namine giggled.

"Fuck it, I'm taking him to the woods," Riku groused as he hauled the massive chocobo outside, "I mean…screw it," he quickly added when he realized he had dropped the f bomb in front of the girls _again_.

"Too late now," Ventus said with a head shake before following Riku out of the extravagant stables.

"I told you guys taking this bird would be a pain in the…butt," the silver-haired fugitive stuttered as the struggled not to curse again.

"Snow wasn't going to stay in the stables with the others. You know he was refusing to stay in The Land of Departure without Aqua," Xion stated softly, running her fingers through Snow's thick feathers.

"You aren't suggesting that this bird actually understands that we are looking for Aqua?" Riku questioned doubtfully before eyeing the gigantic chocobo.

"That's exactly what I am suggesting," the Keyblade wielder with black hair said confidently.

Xion had the up most faith in every living creature and she was sure Snow understood that Aqua was gone and probably didn't want to be left alone. Since Snow was not domesticated from birth, he had unusual tendencies but that didn't make the bird stupid.

"Oh well the details don't matter. I'll take him to the woods. You guys keep searching for leads," Riku instructed before he vanished into the thick, morbid forest that surrounded Jidoor.

For a town located within the Dark Realm, Jidoor was surprisingly vibrant, eerily clean, and down right spotless. Pink flowerbeds and bright green grass lined the streets while sporadic, rounded shrubs were placed throughout the thriving town.

Like most towns, Jidoor's architecture was brown while the roofs were peacock-blue. Petite flower arrangements were placed in almost all the store windows and small trees offered shade to the sizable structures. The buildings were not the largest the party had seen but hey were the most intricate and the most expensive looking.

Jidoor was not an enormous town but it was spread out with many different levels. Chocolate colored stairways led to other sectors with even more stores and homes. The elaborate town even had an auction house where its residents could spend their wealth on a wide range of priceless and rare objects. This kind of lifestyle was completely new to the team. They had never encountered people with this amount of wealth or arrogance.

"I feel…out of place," Namine admitted as they ascended one of the many enormous stairwells that led to the next level within the suburb.

"Me too, so let's try to get our lead so we can get out of here," Ventus suggested as he approached another citizen of Jidoor.

Xion was staring to think that they wouldn't find a lead in this opulent town. No one wanted to talk to them and the ones that did were only interested in where they were from and why they were there. They had absolutely no desire to help.

"These people drive me crazy," Riku declared when he reached the other members of his party, "I apologize for suggesting we come here."

"It is ok," Namine said with a dazzling smile, "You were just doing what you thought was best. The people are not friendly but at least there aren't any Dark Knights or guards roaming around here."

"The old broad over there didn't know anything either. That or she just didn't want to tell me…I am not sure which," Ventus announced once he returned his comrades.

"Hey, hey, hey!" a skinny man with a monocle and neatly trimmed beard called as he advanced toward the out-of-place quartet.

The man had chestnut colored hair with neat braids running through the sides of his thick hair that had been tidily brushed back out of his face. The man with a monocle wore an unusual navy blue tuxedo with a white bow tie and ruby rose in his left tuxedo pocket.

"Word on the street is that you kids are looking for information," the fancy peddler stated while he rubbed his thin beard with his hands that were adorned in blindingly white gloves.

"Yes?" Ventus was not sure how to take this…abrasive man.

"Then you should have come to me first!" the twitchy skinny peddler declared, placing his hands on his chest, "I am the man with connections in Jidoor."

"Alright. We are looking for someone," Riku began, he had decided he wanted to test the arrogant peddlers knowledge, "A few months ago a few Dark-"

"I know nothing about anything that happened months ago. That is old news," the man interrupted as he waved his hand dismissively, "However, the present is a completely different matter."

"I'm listening," Riku said from within his hood.

"Some rumors are running around about a certain Dark Knight," the peddler tried to bait the party.

"I am not asking you for gossip," the blindfolded young man said, bored.

"Our friend was taken by some Dark Knights a couple of months ago. We are trying to figure out where they took her," Ventus tried again to get some form of cooperation from the hawker.

"I will tell you the most recent news concerning Dark Knights…for a fee," the shifty man bribed as he rubbed his fingers together, causing the fabric of his gloves to make rough, scratchy sounds.

"How much?" Riku asked before he crossed his arms. He was getting annoyed.

Xion and Namine watched silently while Riku and Ventus…haggled with the…haggler.

"One thousand munny," the peddler bargained arrogantly and Riku laughed, hard.

"For that kind of munny you better be telling me exactly what I want to hear," the hooded Keyblade master jeered while Ventus rolled his eyes at the troublesome peddler.

"You will never know if you don't pay me," the shady man tempted while he removed his monocle, breathed on the lens, and placed the object back over his eye.

"I don't know you guys," Namine spoke up, "he never said it was about an abductee. He just said it was about Dark Knights."

"Can you tell us which Dark Knight the information is about?" Xion inquired as she took a timid step toward the huckster.

"Why the Captain of the Dark Knight of course!" the man spoke as if he was speaking to the masses, "Master Terra."

The foursome exchanged glances.

"What do you think, Riku?" Ventus asked, his eyes were glued on Riku, "You said Terra was the one that ran after her."

"I don't think we have much choice. This is the only guy that has offered us any form of aid," Riku submitted, "Xion, give the man the munny."

"Yes! Good! Good! Good!" the peddler exclaimed as Xion emptied one thousand munny out of her pouch into his greedy hands.

"Well rumor has it that Master Terra has been replaced," the hawker began while rubbing the munny between his wolfish fingers, "The young captain has not conducted a Purge in months. Vanitas has taken over for Terra."

"Some have even suggested that Terra might be planning to retire, or maybe he got seriously injured. I have even heard that he might be dead. The man hasn't been seen for months," he continued.

"Riku, it sounds like he hasn't done much since Amur," Xion stated as she looked over at her brother and her friend with ice-blue eyes.

"Yeah but this information is still worthless, interesting, but worthless," Riku replied, shaking his head while he placed fists on his hips.

"Oh well. Perhaps the information may aid you later. Or maybe for another one thousand munny I can tell you another rumor circling around the capital," the devious peddler baited again.

While Riku and Ventus began haggling with the strange man again, Namine heard faint whispers coming from the woods.

"Xion," the girl with golden hair whispered before tugging at her sister's hoodie, "Do you hear that?"

Xion listened for a moment before nodding and gazing in the direction of the sound.

"Pssst! Over here!" the muffled voice called and Namine ran toward the direction of the voice with Xion hot on her heels.

"Namine! Stop! We don't know who is back there!" the raven haired Keyblade wielder hissed as she followed her sister into the tiny wooded area within the suburb.

Xion gasped when she saw the elderly woman hiding behind one of the several compact trees. The woman had gray hair and one of her eyes was completely hollowed out. Her back was severely hunched and she had a crooked wooden cane to support her unbalanced frame.

"Do not listen to the peddler. He can offer you pieces of a puzzle but he cannot give you enough to make an actual picture," the woman croaked, "If you want to find your friend you should go to ZoZo."

"ZoZo?" Namine asked curiously. Xion was shocked that her younger sibling was not afraid of this woman in any way.

"It is a city north of here. Go there and see the seeress," the one eyed woman said hoarsely from inky, rotting teeth.

"Why would we want to see a seeress?" Xion questioned when she decided to approach the corpse like woman.

"She is an ex seeress," the gray hair woman wheezed and Xion was sure she might cough up blood, "She used to live in the capital. Served the Overlords."

The more the woman talked the more doubtful Xion became and the more Namine's fascination grew.

"See the seeress. She can help," the morbid wench instructed as she gently held Namine's fragile hand and patted it, "Go to ZoZo and ask for Mona."

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Ventus said, rubbing his temples in contemplation, "An old woman with one eye and black teeth told you we should go to ZoZo and talk to a former seeress."

"I know it sounds crazy but we both saw her and that is what she said," Xion said with big pleading eyes as the quartet entered their room in the inn.

"We are not about to go to ZoZo," Riku stated while shaking his head and removing his blindfold upon entering the privacy of the room, "That place is hell on earth."

The silver-haired Keyblade wielder had never been to ZoZo and there was a reason he never went there. It was a deplorable place even by the Dark Realms standards.

"It is full of rapists and thugs," he continued, "It would be suicide to go there."

"But it is the only lead we have," the raven-haired young woman said as she sat on one of the four twin beds within the inn's accommodations.

"Look I figured we would have to go into the Dark Realm but I never considered going to ZoZo," Riku explained while Namine took a seat at the small table in the left corner of the room and opened her sketch pad, "I had actually planned on avoiding that place like plague."

"People in the Dark Realm even avoid that place! People don't live there! Only outcasts, thieves, and Darkness knows what else live there," the young man with pale blue eyes continued to heed his companions as he walked to the bookshelf on the other side of the room and began inspecting the book titles.

Xion listened but she watched Namine draw a picture of what appeared to be Aqua.

"We don't really have much choice," Ventus grumbled as he plopped onto a bed and held his arm over his electric blue eyes, the sound of Namine's scribbling invading his ears.

"Give me one good reason why we should go into the bowels of hell to talk to some demonic seer that may or may not exist!" Riku protested before he began to fidget with the silver strings of his hood.

It was obvious that the Dark Keyblade master had absolutely no desire to go to this place. The siblings knew if Riku was apprehensive the place had to be unpleasant to say the least.

"Have you ever been there?" Xion asked but her eyes did not leave Namine's unusual drawing. Namine had drawn a replica of Aqua and now that she was done she had begun digging her pencil into the surface of the paper in bizarre ways.

"No. No one goes there," Riku replied as Namine's scrapping grew louder and began to fill the room. The uncanny sounds bouncing off the gray stone floors and the creamy brick walls.

Namine's ultramarine eyes had glazed over and she was no longer drawing, she was thrusting the point of the pencil into the vulnerable surface of the paper. The charcoal raked in peculiar circles while it gradually began blackening the entire sketch.

"I think we should go," the Keyblade wielder with jet black hair announced as the sound abnormal grazing of paper only intensified.

"I was afraid of that," Riku mumbled as he took a seat beside Xion, "I guess it is worth a shot. If this seeress does exist she can probably help us and even if she doesn't maybe we can get some help in ZoZo anyway. If we don't die first..."

"Don't say stuff like that!" Xion scolded as she lightly hit the back of Riku's silver head.

"It's true! That place is as dangerous as it gets! I'm not afraid to hurting your feelings!" the man from the Dark Realm morbidly clarified, "The only place worse than that is the capital! We _would_ die if we went there!" Riku wasn't trying to be mean, he just wanted to keep his friends safe...but it was getting harder and harder to do that.

Hopelessness. Hopelessness was setting in and it had all of them on edge. They were trekking further and further into enemy territory every day. Each day was a gamble. They played with death and tempted disaster daily and it was starting to take its toll. Their nerves were fried and their emotions ran high. Strong personalities were starting to clash as perpetual despair started to weigh each of them down.

"I'm sorry," Riku quickly added as he rested his elbows on his knees and held his head down, "I just want us to be prepared for the worst. I know we have to find Aqua but I don't want any of you to get hurt either. I'm tired and stressed out and just…overwhelmed in general."

"We all are," Ventus stated, rising up to stare at his younger sister as she fiercely mutilated her sketchpad with thick gashes of black.

"Namine, enough. I can't stand that noise anymore," the eldest sibling pleaded as he held his aching head in his hands.

Namine did not stop. If anything the eerie scratching intensified as did her jerky movements.

Ventus's eyebrows creased. His youngest sister did not draw like that. Namine's utensils always silently glided over her paper. She never abused her sketch pad with such brutality.

"Namine," Xion tried to call over the infernal chafing. Again the unearthly noises intensified.

The elfin girl rose to her feet and stood in front of her golden-haired sister, "Namine!"

Namine's eyes were faraway and glassy while her body jerked in inhuman ways, causing the engraving to delve deeper into the sketch pad's surface.

"Namine! Stop!" Xion yelled before gripping her sister's hand, forcing the assault to stop.

The girl with sunshine colored locks blinked rapidly and held her hands to her mouth, "I'm-I'm so sorry."

"I-I don't know what happened…I was just drawing a picture of Aqua and…" Namine stated as she peered down at her mutilated and macabre drawing.

What started, as a portrait of Aqua was now a pitch-black illustration. Deep lacerations of black spirals were burrowed deeply into every inch of the paper's desecrated surface. There was not an inch of white left on its blackened surface. The sketched duplicate of Aqua had been completely engulfed by darkness.

**_A/N: As always thank you so much for reading and sticking with the story! All I've got to say is I hope you have more fun reading this chapter than I had writing it! This chapter gave me fits but hopefully you enjoyed it. It is pretty long and I apologize for that. Anyway, thanks again for reading! _**


	15. Non-Believer

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy in any way, shape, or form.

**Chapter 15**

**Non-Believer**

When Aqua awoke she realized it was late in the afternoon. She was missing her daily lesson but she wasn't about to wake up the sleeping knight and remind him to take her to whoever it was she was meeting with this week.

The instant Aqua thought about Terra, she realized he wasn't holding onto her in any way. The knight wasn't even close to her. He was fast asleep on the other side of the bed with his arms folded under his pillow while he lied on the ridged plains of his stomach. Terra's royal blue eyes were gently closed and his normally hard features were soft, they were not marred by worry or indignation.

The sapphire girl sighed lightly.

This was not how she pictured her eighteenth year of life or even her future for that matter. Aqua would have never thought the first man she shared a bed with would be Terra. This wasn't how she wanted things to be. This wasn't how they were supposed to be. Never in a million years would she have thought she would end up here…

Her mind was too turbulent for her to go back to sleep, so she decided to daydream instead…to close her eyes and try to think of a happier time…before Kairi was taken…before she was captured…when she thought she had control of her life…when things were a bit brighter…

Sparkling cobalt eyes closed as her mind drifted back in time…

_Aqua walked barefoot along the flowing swells of pale yellow sand, holding her navy clogs and socks in her hands while her tan satchel rested on her dainty shoulder. She glanced over and watched as Kairi ran through the shallow, shimmering water. The red-haired girl carelessly wrestled with the glittering ocean, kicking at the rushing waves and running her fingers through the cascading tidal flow. _

"_You are going to get wet," Aqua chided lightly. _

_She walked a bit closer to the ocean so that the cool, refreshing water would glide over her bare feet. The water held an orange hue as the setting sun skimmed over its translucent surface. _

"_That is the point!" the younger sibling replied._

_Kairi spun around lightheartedly in the gentle tides, causing the water to burst into oversized droplets that licked up her creamy legs._

"_Ok, but I don't want to hear you complaining about your uniform being wet when you get out," the azure woman lectured as she felt the rising liquid wrap around her ankles. _

_The sisters were on their way back to their summer home or shack on the Destiny Islands. Master Eraqus allowed the children to attend summer classes during the early months of summer so they could socialize and interact with other children their age. The kind master wanted them to experience as much of life as they could. He did not want them to be deprived of a normal education outside The Land of Departure, so he allowed them to experience somewhat normal schooling a few months on the tropical islands. _

"_I think that Selphie might actually be in love with her latest boyfriend. What do you think?" Kairi inquired as she left the clutches bloated ocean and returned to her older sister's side. _

"_How should I know!" the blue-haired young woman answered with a shrug. _

_Aqua tenderly adjusted the powder blue sweater she modestly wore over her schoolgirl uniform. While most girls only wore the standard white blouses, Aqua chose to wear a thin long sleeve sweater over the white garment. Kairi was not as modest; the younger sibling wore the blouse shamelessly and rolled the already short sleeves up to create a sleeveless look. _

"_Oh that's right I forget you're not a regular eighteen year old," the girl with ruby tresses taunted before she continued to frolic in the surging orange waves._

_Kairi always teased her about being odd, unnaturally mature, and motherly. In fact most of the girls her age did. _

"_I am a regular eighteen year old!" Aqua countered as she threw her clogs to the sandy ground in frustration. _

_The sound of rapid footsteps approached them and Aqua figured it was either Ventus or Selphie. _

"_No you're not," Selphie chimed in once she finally caught up with the siblings. _

_The sixteen-year-old girl had known the sisters for years and had started taking summer classes so that she could spend more time with them. She usually walked home with Kairi and Aqua but she had a boyfriend now so had started spending more and more time with him. As a result, Aqua and Kairi often walked home alone or with Ventus, Namine, and Xion. _

"_It is nice to see you too Selphie," the aquamarine young woman huffed before she bent over and picked up the sandy shoes she had thrown during her mini tantrum. She couldn't even throw a fit like a regular teenager, she couldn't stand the disorder. _

"_And yes I think I might actually love this one," the lively girl revealed as she brushed pale sand off her blue, paid shirt that was identical to Aqua's and Kairi's. _

"_How long have you two even been together?" Aqua questioned while brushing the sand off her clogs. _

"_Hmm," Selphie began, "two or three months. I am not entirely sure, but how long we have been together isn't important. What is important is that he is a really good kisser and he is adorable."_

"_Why do boys always make everyone crazy?" the sky blue Keyblade wielder questioned patronizingly after hearing Selphie's lovesick statement. Aqua never understood the whole boy crazy thing. She had never met a boy that made her talk in such a manner, to make her say things like adorable or willingly talk about what a good kisser he might be. _

"_Oh, Aqua! Don't be such a spoilsport! Boys can be really fun!" Selphie practically squealed and Kairi giggled into her hands. _

_Aqua had to disagree so she chose not to reply._

"_Isn't that right, Kairi?" the spunky girl with green eyes chittered. _

"_I don't know about all boys but Sora is fun," the redhead blushed. _

"_See, Aqua? Kairi gets it and she is almost four years younger than you!" the brunette with flipped out hair taunted humorously. _

"_I just don't get what the big deal is!" Aqua finally replied to all the teasing she was receiving. _

**_It was true. I didn't get it. _**

_Selphie smiled, "Don't worry. When you meet the right guy and fall in love you will understand."_

_**The right guy…**_

"_That is why I get it. I have already met the right guy," Kairi announced confidently as she walked next to the other girls, "We all know I am going to marry Sora." _

"_How can you even know that? You're fourteen!" the azure maiden quickly countered and resisted the urge to throw her shoes in vexation again, "Have you even kissed him?"_

"_No, but that is beside the point! When you know you know," the feisty girl with cherry colored locks replied confidently. _

"_You're fourteen!" Aqua repeated, her cobalt orbs rolling in disbelief. She knew Kairi and Sora had a special connection but they were still really young..._

"_I believe you, Kairi," Selphie said with a kind-hearted smile. _

"_Thank you," Kairi responded before she stuck her tongue out at her sibling, causing Aqua to quickly return the childish gesture. _

"_So ice queen I think Wakka has a crush on you," the brunette with vibrant green eyes reported. _

_Aqua's scrunched her nose. Wakka was very nice and funny but…wasn't really her…type. _

"_Don't bother trying to set her up with anyone, Selphie. She is saving herself for Zaaaaccckkk!" Kairi announced in a singsong voice while she skipped through fields of creamy sand to emphasize her point. _

_The cerulean Keyblade wielders entire face flushed. _

"_Oh! Are you talking about the sexy guy with black hair that dumped her?" the sisters' friend questioned excitedly. _

"_He didn't dump me!" Aqua bristled, "He just…had to go away for a while…but he will be back." _

_**No, he won't be back. You were stupid to think that. Zack was never going to come back. **_

"_Sounds like he dumped you," the lively girl with chestnut colored hair replied. _

"_He didn't dump me! He just…had some things he had to do…" the sapphire maiden hissed. _

_**I couldn't lie…but I couldn't tell them the truth either…**_

"_Of course he did. It sounds like he had some other girls to do," Selphie joked again, "He probably got tired of waiting on the ice queen to put out." _

"_I mean look at her she screams virgin," the jolly girl added as she tugged at Aqua's sweater she wore over he blouse. _

"_I'm modest. I get it!" the cobalt female chuckled before pulling her sweater out of Selphie's hands. _

"_Zack was kind of a womanizer…" Kairi admitted, "Maybe he did need diversity…"_

"_That is true and normally I wouldn't argue it but trust me that isn't why he left," Aqua stated as her eyes went distant. _

_**No. He definitely didn't leave for other girls. **_

"_It is probably for the best. Aqua is much more concerned about becoming a Keyblade master than she is having a relationship anyway. Poor Zack would be waiting forever," Selphie added with a shrug. _

_The bubbly young woman was probably right. Aqua was not ready to commit to anything other than her skills and her craft. She had big plans and a boyfriend wasn't really a part of those plans. The sapphire Keyblade wielder did think about settling down eventually, but it wasn't a priority at the moment… _

"_What are we talking about?" Ventus asked as he rushed up to the trio with a tittering Namine on his back and a sprinting Xion following close behind. _

"_How Aqua is an ice queen," Selphie said matter-of-factly as she inspected her dull nails. _

"_I am not an ice queen!" Aqua snapped and Namine crawled off of Ventus's back. _

"_It's ok, Aqua, we like you anyway," the blonde haired boy teased with a wink and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and glanced down at her with kind eyes. _

"_Thanks, Ven," the cerulean girl said sarcastically before Ventus ran after Kairi. _

_The red-haired girl squealed and ran away from her foster-brother. _

"_No Ven! Don't you dare!" Kairi scolded in between uncontrollable fits of laughter while she did her best to avoid him. _

"_So you don't want to go for a swim?" Ventus stated impishly before he placed his hands in the pockets of the plaid dress pants he wore with his school uniform. Ventus had already loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his white garment. _

_Aqua smiled as she watched Ventus interact with her sister. He was a wonderful brother to them even though they were not his blood relatives. _

"_No!" the feisty redhead protested even though her ultramarine eyes shown with mischief. _

_The girl with indigo locks knew her sister was practically daring Ventus to come after her. Kairi loved it. _

"_If you get her waterlogged you are going to be the one to explain to Master Eraqus," Aqua chastised lightly as she adjusted the clips she wore in her hair to hold the sides of her hair back. When the cerulean Keyblade wielder went to class she liked to look neat so she would pull the sides of her hair back so she would look more professional. _

_Before Aqua could fix her tidy hair Ventus had hauled her over his shoulder. _

"_No, Ven! Get her!" the icy maiden objected and she frantically pointed to Kairi, "She is the one that wants it! Not me!" _

_Everyone laughed and the young man slung Aqua into his arms bridal style before he pulled both of them into the rolling tides of the shimmering ocean. _

_The cobalt young woman spat out the water than had gathered in her mouth and glared icy daggers at her foster-brother who only laughed at her. _

"_Aren't we getting a little old for this kind of thing?" Aqua teased as she splashed Ventus in his smug face. _

The sound of Terra clearing his gruff throat brought her out of her reminiscence. He wasn't awake yet, but he was starting to stir. The warrior would wake soon.

Being in the Dark Capital with Terra wasn't part of Aqua's plan. Sharing a bed with him definitely wasn't part of her plan. The azure woman wanted to become a Keyblade master. She wanted to see the world; maybe she even wanted to change it. Aqua wished for impossible things. She desired things that were not possible in the world she lived in. The female Keyblade wielder had big dreams, but those dreams had been turned into nightmares by the Overlords infected hands.

Aqua rolled onto her other side so that she could face the dual balcony doors. The tempting, afternoon sun shone brightly with vibrant hues of gold and orange and she began to wonder if she could sneak out onto the balcony for a bit before Terra woke up. The knight was a heavy sleeper but she still wasn't sure if she could get out of bed undetected.

Timidly, Aqua sat up and lightly placed her feet onto the thick red carpet that covered the floor of the room. The lush floor covering slide between her toes but Before she cerulean female could completely rotate her body in the direction of the glass doors that led to the patio, a firm, hot hand gripped her elbow.

A sharp gasp ripped from her throat and she turned to face the owner of the hand. Terra was wide-awake and surprisingly alert.

"Where are you going?" Terra asked coldly, his hand slightly twitching against her cool, ivory skin. The grip he had on her arm tightened with each rigid word he uttered.

"I-I was going to sit out on the balcony while you slept," the restrained young woman confessed.

Even though Aqua was telling the Dark Knight the truth she still felt like she was admitting to some horrible crime. He inspected her with eyes that had narrowed into dangerous slits and it only intensified her misplaced guilt.

"Fine. Do what you want," Terra relented blandly and released her quivering arm, "But if you jump off that balcony or try to run off I _will_ kill you."

His threat made her blood run cold. Normally, when someone said they would "kill you" if you did something it was an exaggeration to get a point across, but when Terra said it he probably meant that he would literally kill her if she tried to escape.

The knight rolled over and slammed his head back into his pillow, turning his head away from her. He was acting weird again.

"Where am I going today?" Aqua asked as she watched the earthen male lying face down on the bed.

The sapphire maiden had to ask. She didn't want to go anywhere, she was sleep deprived and she would be completely fine with playing hooky all day but it was making her nervous that they were staying in bed until the late afternoon.

Terra snarled, making Aqua immediately regret the decision to try to converse with him. The knight was obviously grumpy and tired and she shouldn't have roused him.

"_You_ aren't going anywhere, but_ I_ am going to see the Overlords," the Dark Keyblade master grumbled into the fluffy surface of his pillow.

"What am I supposed to do while you're gone?" Aqua inquired sincerely.

She hated being cooped up in his room alone. When she was alone she thought way too much and would become stir crazy. It was different from when Terra was in the room with her. If her caretaker was with her they could fight or talk, but if she was alone she could only converse with her own depressing thoughts. The silence was much worse than any argument she could have with Terra. The silence reminded her even more of the grave, unbearable situation she was in.

"Sit on your precious balcony or something. Find a way to amuse yourself," the youthful captain sat up. It was becoming clear that Aqua wasn't going to let him go back to sleep. Now that he had started thinking and talking, sleep would be impossible for him to retrieve.

"Can't you send for Roxas?" the azure girl asked as Terra got out of bed and began stretching his knotted muscles.

"So you two can get into trouble? I don't think so," the off duty knight grouched, "Besides, I don't think Roxas is even in the palace. I think he went to a prison or something."

"Well, can I come with you?" Aqua asked softly and watched her guardian with kind, compassionate eyes of endless blue.

Terra froze and his heart twitched. Royal blue eyes reluctantly gazed at the source of the serene voice. The ethereal maiden sat on her knees on his bed and she observed him with pure, endearing eyes. She genuinely wanted be with him…or maybe she didn't want to be alone…he wasn't sure which.

"No, I definitely have to go alone," he answered even though he wished he could take her with him, but she could _not _hear the conversation he was about to have with the Overlords.

Aqua's vibrant eyes fell.

"But I will be back soon. I promise," Terra yielded, he couldn't stand hurting her feelings, "I'll always be back." he lightheartedly reminded her with a sneer.

* * *

"I think it is time for Blue to get her own room," Terra basically commanded.

Xehanort's eyes narrowed. The head knight was bordering on being flat-out disrespectful. Luckily for Terra, Xehanort was the only Overlord present so the atmosphere wasn't as tense or as formal.

"Do you think she is ready for such a privilege?" the bearded monarch inquired. The Overlord leaned forward in his throne and held his hands under his angular chin.

Honestly, Terra wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to obtain that level of freedom, but he _was_ sure that if he didn't get her out of his room soon he would do something stupid.

"I believe so, my lord," Terra tried to answer as confidently as possible, "She does not need to be as closely monitored anymore."

The Dark Overlord observed his foster child incredulously and Terra shifted uncomfortably within his armor. The bronze warrior knew what Xehanort was thinking. Why would a twenty-one year old boy want an attractive girl out of his room? It was preposterous and he knew it.

"If you insist, I trust your judgment," Lord Xehanort replied ambivalently, "We knew she wouldn't be able to stay with you forever nor did we want her to stay with you forever. She has to learn to do things on her own."

Terra nodded his agreement even though he saw the dubious look within Xehanort's reddish-yellow eyes.

"I will have to discuss the matter with the Court and the Seer Sages of course," the High Elder rasped and analyzed Terra meticulously, "If we decide she is ready to have her own living quarters new living arrangements shall be provided for her."

The Dark Knight was silent and stood stoically. He stood as the ideal knight although his insides were utter pandemonium. His heart was dumbfounded and his mind was anarchic despite his outward façade.

Physically, nothing about him had changed but he couldn't help feeling like Xehanort could sense his slight unorthodox transformation. He was mortified that his sovereign could smell the lavender on his tanned skin. Petrified that the monarch could see Aqua's invisible kiss upon his lips and the brand she had precisely and delicately engraved into the raw muscle tissue of his heart.

"Do not forget yourself, Terra" Xehanort heeded darkly and the bronze knight's brow rose, "Do not forget who you are and_ never _forget who she is."

The young man decided to play dumb and simply stare blankly at his High Elder. Maybe if he looked clueless enough the sovereign would stop being suspicious of him, but deep down Terra knew it was too late. He could tell by the way his liege surveyed him. Xehanort knew. He had seen right through him.

"No matter what you feel for her, she will always be a Child of Light first and foremost," The Overlord with blazing orange eyes scolded, "She is your enemy."

Although Xehanort's tone was unchanging, Terra could feel the condemnation behind each syllable that gushed from the Dark Overlord's scratchy throat.

The captain didn't utter a word. What could he say? He had been careless. The more he thought about it the angrier he grew at himself. The warrior didn't do a very good job of concealing his adoration or his concern for Aqua. He knew he had publically displayed compassion for her in front of many people on several different occasions.

Dark Knights were not forbidden to have relationships. It was a part of life and the Overlords respected it. They would be allowed to retire and marry after a certain age, but the relationship could not affect performance or their sense of duty.

_Aqua does both of those things. She constantly challenges the way I think and she frequently keeps me from doing what I should be doing, _Terra thought inwardly.

"Speaking of your _charge,"_ Xehanort purposely emphasized the word charge, "I think it is time she participated in a Purge."

The Dark Knight's eyes dilated inside his faceless helmet.

_Fuck!_

"Members of The Opposition are supposedly hiding out inside the small village of Mist," the Overlord explained as he rose to his feet, "I want you to go there with Axel and Vanitas and execute any and all members and imprison the Children of Light that have been helping them. None of you are allowed to return home until the Opposition member by the name of Auron is executed. He is the leader of this little…_group_ that has accumulated in Mist. Vanitas has already been assigned to this job. He knows what to do. Speak with him if you have any further questions."

Terra bristled. Vanitas was clearly taking over as captain. Xehanort spoke as if Vanitas was more qualified for this job and that had been briefed on the situation in much more detail. The earthen knight knew he was only going because they wanted him to take Aqua. Technically, Terra's services were no longer required. He had been replaced…

* * *

Guards stationed within the massive airship, Hildagarde, bowed as Terra and Aqua walked to their quarters aboard the ship. The Child of Light had noticed that the guards showed her much more respect now. They were starting to accept her, the girl who was always at Terra's side. People no longer merely bowed to Terra, it would appear that they bowed to her as well. Terra's status had rubbed off onto her. They were a matched set. Usually one was not found without the other.

"Why are they taking Hildagarde?" Aqua inquired with contempt. Oblivious that she had just excluded Terra from the "they" she spoke of. The young woman spoke as if Terra was not participating with the other knights. She had unmindfully placed Terra on her side.

Hildagarde was the gargantuan airship the knights had taken to The Land of Departure when they Purged Eraqus and Kairi. The extravagant ship had blood-red carpet and onyx walling. The metal that made up the walls was morbid and appeared to be a hodgepodge of twisting pipes and patchy scrap metal. It was morbid and disgusting.

The airship was decorated like everything else the Dark Rule touched. Lots of blood and darkness, ruby and ebony floral arrangements sat upon rounded, silver tables, and tapestries of Dark Realm emblems, insignia, and crests were everywhere.

"Prisoners," Terra replied curtly. He didn't want to go into detail and he hoped Aqua would take the hint.

"So they need more room?" she asked meekly, trying not to picture innocent people within the musty, atrocious cells of the Hildagarde.

"Yeah," the knight responded impassively.

Once they reached their room, Terra opened the door for Aqua and gave a mock gentleman's bow.

"Stop it," the blue maiden scolded and she lightly nudged his shoulder with her own when she brushed past him.

Terra chuckled; he couldn't help himself.

When Aqua was safely inside, Terra gently shut the vermillion door behind him and inspected the room. It was the room he always occupied when he went on Purges, but it was not stuffy or dusty. The bedspread had been changed, some of the furniture had been rearranged, and some of Terra's belongings were missing. Someone had been staying there. Vanitas had been staying there.

A low growl gurgled in the bronze knight's throat.

Terra had been so distracted by the state of his room he hadn't noticed Aqua closing in on him. She was standing right in front of him and she was reaching toward his face. Taken back, the warrior jerked and backed away from her.

Before he could ask her what she thought she was doing she had already grabbed his headgear and was tenderly removing the object that hid his features from her. She had taken initiative and he was actually impressed. Aqua wasn't really afraid of him anymore and that may or may not be a good thing.

Aqua gently lifted the helmet and watched intently as Terra's face was revealed. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was messy and slightly compressed to the small amount of sweat that had accumulated on his forehead. He looked tired. Dark circles gathered under his deep blue eyes and he was a bit paler than normal.

After the helmet was detached, the cerulean girl involuntarily slid her fingers into his tangled mane and tossed his thick, fleecy locks. Terra closed his eyes tightly, scrunched his face, and allowed her to fix his unkempt hair.

His hair was coarse but still shockingly soft. Aqua had always wondered what his hair felt like. It was much softer than she had anticipated; the smooth strands flowed in between her ivory fingers immaculately. Waves of chocolate-brown smothered the porcelain skin of her hands as her fingers delved deeper and deeper into his mane. As she continued to brush through his matted tresses with her slender fingers she made sure that her skin never came into contact with his. She was extremely cautious.

When the young man felt her hands retreated he released the broiling breath he didn't realize he had been holding inside his burning lungs.

"Better?" Terra asked once she finished and he opened his dark blue eyes.

"A little," Aqua teased vacantly and began walking around the room.

It was magnificent, of course. There were several couches, a love seat, and a circular coffee table were elegantly arranged on top of an enormous tawny and crimson rug that was covered in spiraling angular designs. Oversized mahogany bookshelves lined the blackened, metal walls while a bed smaller than the one Aqua shared with Terra was placed on the other side of the room.

"Why are we going to Mist?" Aqua asked even though she was terrified of the answer but she assumed that since she was going on a Purge she might as well know some of the details. Maybe if she knew what to expect it might not be as unpleasant.

"Resistance members are supposedly in seclusion there," Terra answered.

The armored man waltzed to the mahogany coffee table and examined the bottle of wine that sat on its mirrored surface. He lifted the wine bottle and inspected the label before he realized Aqua was deadly quiet. A dark brown creased and he glanced in her direction. The azure woman's eyes were wide and distant, her expression unreadable.

"Friends of yours?" the Dark Knight asked with a touch of scorn.

He placed the pea green wine bottle back on the coffee table and tightly crossed his arms over his bronze and gold chest. Aqua wasn't the only one that had learned to read others; Terra had learned to read her as well.

Nervously, Aqua shook her head back and forth. Her movements were a bit too quick and a bit too jerky for her answer to be entirely truthful.

"Aqua—" Terra began but stopped when the female Keyblade wielder gasped and scurried across the lavish room toward one of the couches.

"Knock, knock," Vanitas snarled as he barbarically barreled into the room.

_She sensed him. Aqua sensed his darkness, _Terra mused mentally.

Instinctively he moved to shield Aqua with his body. The aquamarine young woman couldn't believe her eyes. Terra was actually offering her protection. After the thousands of times he had told her he would never do such a thing and that it wasn't his job to act in such a manner, he was standing between her and Vanitas.

Aqua wasn't necessarily afraid of Vanitas…he just unnerved her and when he was nearby her natural tendency was to get as far away from him as possible. His skin oozed pungent Darkness. The sapphire maiden could always smell him coming but today his Darkness had an even stronger, more overbearing odor. Every bone in her body told her to get away from him…something was even more off about him lately…

"I thought I might find you two in here," Vanitas said roughly and slammed the heavy blackened door behind him.

Vanitas was in his full Dark Knight attire complete with his sleek, glossy helmet. The menacing knight marched toward the immobile duo.

"But I was hoping_ you," _Vanitas spat and glared at Terra's form, "Wouldn't be in here so Aqua and I could get to know each other a little better."

Aqua shrank behind Terra's broad frame when she heard the devious suggestion and her guardian subtly closed the distance between them. The Light Keyblade wielder was right; Terra _was_ offering her protection.

_Can Terra sense it too? Can he tell that Vanitas is a bit more unhinged than normal? _She questioned herself.

"I don't think she wants to get to know you that way," the bronze knight replied confidently.

"How would you know?" the crimson demon inquired and placed a bloodied hand on his hip, "You have never given her the chance to get to know anyone else. You are a bit greedy, my _brother._"

The girl with cobalt eyes wanted to agree with Terra but she didn't want to get between the bickering siblings. Vanitas and Terra took sibling rivalry to a whole new level.

When Terra didn't answer his demented foster-brother, Vanitas began to lurk around the room, "You didn't drink my wine did you? I know you are a borderline alcoholic but surely you haven't downed the whole thing yet."

"I haven't touched your fucking wine," Terra hissed while Aqua took a seat on the couch behind him. Technically, Terra had touched it but he didn't _drink_ any of it.

The captive didn't like it when Terra was around the other knights or the Overlords. They always brought out the worst in him. He cursed more, yelled more, and was much more violent when they were around. The Dark Knight would possess him and Terra would cease to exist.

"Anyway," Vanitas drawled and inspected the wine bottle, "I figured you would be trying to invade your former room, so I came to kick you out."

"_Former_ room?" Terra said between gritted, grinding teeth.

"Mm hmm," the vermillion warrior slurred before putting the pea green flagon back onto the tidy surface of the table, "You have to go but she can stay," Aqua didn't have to see his eyes to know he was winking at her and possibly even licking his lips in a vulgar manner.

"If she stays I stay," the man with midnight blue eyes barked, his bottomless eyes smoldering murderously.

"Perhaps we should place a bet on the room," Vanitas suggested as he rested his elbows on the nearby ruby red dressing table, "You know, settle things the old-fashioned way."

"State your conditions," Terra demanded without hesitation and Aqua cringed, she had a terrible feeling about this.

"The room goes to the most brutal knight at the Purge. Whoever captures, kills, rapes, destroys, maims, assaults, and or desecrates the most Opposition members and Children of Light wins the room," Vanitas stated, his body quivering with anticipation and unrivaled bloodlust. He was practically drooling inside his headgear.

"No, Terra," Aqua pleaded, grabbing fistfuls of Terra's blackened cape.

This was going to turn into a full-fledged massacre over a room! Vanitas and Terra played with innocent lives like they were unfeeling, lifeless toys. It was as if life had to value to them, like it was something to be thrown away, to be disposed of, or to offer them entertainment. She didn't want to know how many times something like this had happened in the past.

The earthen male glanced back at Aqua when he felt her tugging and his expression softened.

"Terra, please," the cerulean girl begged and brought his cape to her aching chest. She desperately wanted to stop this.

A few months ago, Terra would have yanked his cape out of her pathetic hands and told Vanitas to bring it on… he wouldn't have given it a second thought…

"Take your room," the bronze knight relented and Aqua's eyes went wide. Even though she was begging for Terra's mercy she hadn't expected to actually receive it.

"Excuse me!" Vanitas exclaimed.

"You heard me," Terra stated blandly, "You can have your room. We will stay somewhere else."

"You have lost your fucking mind!" Vanitas bellowed, his fists balling tightly at his sides. He was appalled by his foster brother's abnormal response.

"No, I just know when I can't win," the navy-eyed knight shamelessly admitted, "How am I suppose to participate in a blood bath with Blue clinging to me? You would just win the room anyway. I am just saving myself the effort."

Aqua's heart sank. The triumph she felt when she thought she had influenced Terra had quickly melted away. He backed out of the bet because he didn't want to lose, not because he cared about her opinion or the innocent people who would suffer because of the wager. She had been stupid to think her opinion mattered to him…to think that she mattered to him…

_I shouldn't have expected otherwise…why would he listen to me? Like he has always said…I am just a stupid Child of Light…what do I know?_

"Coward!" the bloodthirsty knight screeched and shoved the bookshelf he stood in front of to the metal floor of the room causing Aqua to squeak and jump while Terra merely blinked.

Vanitas was infuriated. How dare Terra back out! How dare he cheat him out of the satisfaction of winning! How dare he deny him of his carnivorous binge! How did Terra always manage to win even when he didn't win!

"Come on, Aqua," the brown-haired warrior said softly and motioned for her to follow him. Terra didn't realize he had just called her Aqua nor did he realize Vanitas had heard him.

* * *

She couldn't stop shaking. The Purge had commenced and chaos was unfolding all around her. People were screaming, blood was spilling, homes were being invaded, windows were breaking, fire was crackling, and tears were falling. During it all she stood next to Terra.

She was a traitor, a turncoat, and double-crosser. She stood silently next to the armored man like a blue haired succubus. She was literally at the captain's right hand.

Terra barked orders to his henchmen and pointed his fingers in multiple directions. He did not physically participate, but he pulled everyone's puppet strings. The bronze knight controlled his men and they operated like a well-oiled machine.

Aqua wondered what Terra would be doing if she was not with him. Would he be breaking in windows? Pulling women away from their husbands by their hair? Would he be casting Dark Fire to catch innocent homes on fire? Would he be cutting resistance members throats open? She didn't want to know…

They had not found who or what they were looking for. The cerulean woman could tell by the way the Dark Knights and guards ran from house to house and from building to building. They were almost frantic.

Mist was small. It was not even classified as a town, it was merely a village buried deep within a dense forest and Aqua was shocked when Terra told her that Opposition members were in seclusion here. However, the longer she watched the more she realized why the resistance members were hiding here, the knights were struggling to find whatever it was they were screening the town for.

So far Aqua had heard Terra commanding men to take several people onto the ship, and she was sure she had heard several death gurgles coming from farther inside the village, but the massacre did not cease. They were still looking for something.

The reprehensible sounds were resurrecting corpse like memories the young woman had suppressed years ago. The noises were reminding her of the day of the Purge that slaughtered her parents. Screaming, crying, the sizzle of fire, the hallow clanking of armor, the guttural roaring of the monsters that slaughtered thousands…

'_Aqua! Take Kairi and run as fast as you can! Run! Don't look back! Don't look back!' _

When Aqua held her head away from the mayhem before her she saw a man being drug out of a crumbling stone home with pale blue shingles upon its rooftop. Two guards pulled him by his arms and yanked him toward the direction of the Hildagarde. Vanitas also leaving the small home, he was slowly following the guards. He was fastening his belt back and adjusting the lower portion of his armor.

_No…no, no, no…_ Aqua chanted mentally.

Shortly after he exited and adjusted his armor a sobbing girl stumbled out of the tiny shack before she collapsed to her hands and knees. Instinctively, Aqua ran through the ash-covered ground to her and knelt by her side. The simmering ash burned her knees but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her physical suffering did not matter, it was nothing compared to the pain this girl was experiencing…

The defiled girl had strawberry blonde hair and pallid skin. Her tearing eyes were hazel and her cyan colored dress was ripped in several different places and threatened to fall off her trembling form. They were almost the same age…

_She and that man they took off were probably helping The Opposition...he was probably her husband or her brother..._Aqua thought as she tried her best not to think about what Vanitas probably did to this poor girl and the man being hauled to the Hildagarde.

Aqua tenderly placed her hands on her quaking shoulders and helped her adjust the crumbling dress. The girl's glossy, hazel eyes traveled to Aqua's despairing face. The cobalt female offered a faint smile.

"Y-you," the girl stuttered and blinked away her bloody tears, "You-you are a Child of Light."

Aqua nodded as she noticed scarlet fluid trickling down the young woman's anemic thighs.

"I-I can see it now," the strawberry blonde stated and held one of Aqua's hands that rested on her shoulder, "It was hard to see amongst their fierce Darkness."

The girl had probably seen her already, standing next to Terra like some kind of diabolical sorceress. That would explain why she couldn't see her Light…Aqua was being suffocated by the immense, infinite blackness.

"Yeah. They cast a tremendous shadow," the cerulean female spat and glared at the havoc around them.

Charcoal colored buildings were burning and crumbling to the dead ground. Autumn had slaughtered the vibrant grass that had once grown within this peaceful village. The turf was cloudy, gray, and crunched when walked upon. The trees were barren and leafless. Everything within the town was gloomy and dismal. The only color within the defecated village was the glowing fire that consumed traitorous homes and the dry ground that was caught in the crossfire. The dry climate of fall was perfect for the spread of fire. Blazes would likely devour the entire village.

Sapphire eyes shifted back to the girl that was covered in bruises. It looked like Vanitas had beaten her senseless before he molested her. Her rounded angelic face was swollen but had not bruised yet. It was too soon for them to blacken but the whelps marred what would normally be a beautiful face.

Rosy cheeks were puffy and discolored, coral lips were chopped and blood oozed from the corner of her plump mouth. Bite marks spoiled the irreproachable flesh of her neck, shoulders, and breasts. The longer the woman with indigo tresses examined Vanitas's victim the more she felt that she might vomit. Suddenly, the scars on Aqua's wrists didn't seem as gruesome.

As gently as she could, Aqua placed her hands on each side of the girl's bloated face and tried to cast Cure. The azure young woman's fingers began to glow white and the radiance glided over the girl's face but it did not heal. Aqua closed her eyes and tried harder. She could feel the coolness of Cure but she didn't feel the life within it. The spell was sterile and did not rejuvenate anything. A cry erupted from Aqua's throat as the discomfort of conjuring overcame her.

"H-Hold on!" Aqua pleaded frantically, by now she was shaking almost as much as Vanitas's prey, "I can get Terra to heal you," she announced before she jumped to her feet.

"No!" the abused girl cried and quickly snatched Aqua's arm before she could leave, "Don't you dare call that monster over here!" the girl begged as she pulled Aqua back down to the stale ground beside her.

"He can heal you," the cobalt woman implored, she desperately wanted to help this poor girl.

"No. My wounds run too deep. Magic cannot heal the damage that has been done," the broken girl explained emotionlessly, her voice was firm yet hollow.

Aqua's eyes began to tear and she grabbed the girl's hand. She wanted to restore her faith but she had no idea how she could do that… As she fought the tears she looked around for Terra. For some reason she wanted to know where he was. Maybe it was to see if he was coming after her. Maybe she wanted him to heal the girl anyway. Maybe she just wanted to make sure he had not left her alone…

"You care for him," the girl stated as she watched Aqua's vibrant eyes search the area for the man she had been standing next to, "You trust that demon in human skin."

"No," Aqua quickly countered as she squeezed the girl's hand, "I just wanted him to—"

"You wanted him to help because you trust him," the shattered girl said coldly, "You wouldn't want to go after him if you didn't."

Aqua reeled, "N-no. I-I—"

"What is wrong with you?" the girl's dead eyes watered and her voice quivered, "How can you stand next to him? How can you even stand to look at him!"

"I-I don't," was all the sapphire maiden could muster.

"You are no better than they are if you can tolerate them," the wounded girl's bitter words rang true and Aqua was ashamed of herself.

"You're a Child of Light," the girl harshly reminded her, "How could you? They have tried to wipe out everything that we stand for! They have tried to destroy our entire civilization! Our way of life! Our customs!"

"I know that," Aqua whispered softly while she held her head down and stared at the colorless ground that was beginning to turn black from the soot that gathered on its surface.

"Then how can you offer me _his _help?" the dishonored young woman asked, her voice breaking with each word she spoke.

The blue-haired Keyblade wielder's eyes stung fiercely, "I-I just wanted to help…"

The strawberry blonde shook her head, "There is no help for us. Not anymore. They are uprooting us one by one and they are breeding us out. Our future is bleak."

"Don't talk like that! There is hope. There is always hope," Aqua proclaimed while holding the dispirited girl's limp hand with both of hers, "Even in the deepest Darkness a Light shines within…m-my grandmother once told me that…"

Foggy, hazel eyes peered into eyes of dazzling baby blue, "I wish I could believe that. I truly do, but I cannot after all I have been through. I can't have hope. Not anymore."

Just as Aqua was about to plead with the girl more screams and uproarious commotion interrupted her. She heard Terra's voice…no she heard his roar.

"W-Wait here I will be right back," she stated before she ran off in the direction of Terra's burly voice, wiping the girls blood on the front of her bleached sweater as she ran.

Embers and cinders dispersed and fluttered around her feet and skirt as she ran through the vandalized village. Ash fell from the sky like snow and smoke contaminated the air like a virus.

"Terra?" Aqua cried as she coughed and gagged on the sweeping amounts of smoke. The cinders burned her eyes and her eyes watered and burned. Ash filled tears rolled down her soot-covered face.

"Terra!" she shouted again and scanned the area for his physique.

She couldn't find him. Aqua ran between the crumbling homes and old buildings. She pushed through small groups of guards and lower ranking Dark Knights as she tried to follow the faint rumble of Terra's distinct voice. The young woman rounded a building corner and found a jade knight wearing a menacing, silver mask over his eyes and nose.

Aqua gripped Axel's arm as he started to pass her, "Where is Terra?"

Axel grabbed her elbow and hauled her though the tiny crowd of Dark Knights and villagers. The hooded knight pointed to his comrade and she yanked her arm out of Axel's feeble grip.

The knights had found who they were looking for.

It was a man. A resistance member by the look of him, he wore a long red rob and one of his arms was resting in a sling across his chest. His hair was black and his left eye had a large scar over it that had permanently shut his eye. The samurai like man held a huge sword over his back and he was preparing to clash Terra again.

Aqua couldn't stand the violence anymore, she pushed and shoved and fought her way through the crowd until she was between the two men. The Child of Light planted herself in front of the member of the Opposition and firmly held her arms out. The black-haired man watched her with bewilderment, as did everyone else around them.

Terra panted roughly within his helmet, "Move," he hissed and Aqua quickly shook her head.

"Move before I make you move," he threatened again but the female Keyblade wielder didn't waver.

She swallowed hard and stood unyieldingly in front of the stranger but to Aqua this man wasn't a stranger. He represented much more than that to her. He could be anyone she cared about or anyone that wanted a better life. He was a Child of Light just like her…

The bronze knight lowered his Keyblade and stomped toward her but she only backed further away from him and closer to the man she was trying to protect.

"Damn it, Aqua, stop!" Terra roared and reached for her but Aqua jerked away from him.

"No!" she countered firmly and continued to guard the leader of the small group of Opposition members that inhabited Mist.

"Stop trying to save everyone!" the frustrated knight yelled as he seized the watery maiden's arm.

"Stop trying to stop me!" Aqua cried and pushed vigorously at his deplorable hold.

Pent-up tears finally streamed down her dirty cheeks. Real tears fell, not tears that had been forced from her eyes from all the smoke and ash. She collapsed to her knees and the crowd fell silent. The inscrutable warrior aggressively held his captive's arm and she wept. She didn't feel the warmth of his hand; she only felt the deadly cold of his acrid gauntlet.

"Axel!" Terra called into the crowd, "Take Blue." Terra's voice was unsympathetic and coarse.

Aqua was viciously yanked to her feet and thrown into the waiting arms of Axel. The jade knight started to flip her around but Aqua only covered her face with her hands and hid her face in his unsuspecting chest. She knew Terra's tone. She knew what it meant. It meant that he was going to finish what he started.

"Don't make me watch," she pleaded with the fiery man as she tightly shut her eyes and covered her throbbing ears.

Axel did not answer but he didn't force her to watch. The fight continued for what seemed like hours until Terra masterfully maneuvered behind the man and held him by the throat. One hand was placed on the top of his black head while his other arm wrapped around his thick neck. With one swift, unforgiving motion, Terra snapped the man's neck and let the limp body fall to his feet. Soot and embers puffed and flurried around the carcass and Terra's steel-plated legs.

* * *

"Would you?" Aqua cried as she stormed after Terra down the countless halls of the Hildagarde.

Terra said nothing.

"Answer me, Terra!" the maiden continued to pester him and the guards stationed throughout the ship watched closely.

They were probably wondering why the man who had just publically executed a leader of the Opposition with his bare hands was letting this insignificant young woman yell at him.

"Would you?" the female Keyblade wielder desperately wailed again.

Aqua grabbed handfuls of his cape and began trying to reel him backward or get his attention. Terra wasn't sure which. She desperately pulled and tugged at the fabric but she was only carried down the hallway with the man the cape was attached to. Guards chuckled while they watched her struggle to stop the Captain's fierce advance.

"Terra!" the azure woman shouted and securely dug her heels into the vermillion carpet of the Hildagarde, causing the bronze knight to stagger and lurch backward.

The young man coughed a few times and rubbed his damaged throat. While he was distracted Aqua clawed his steel-plated arm and used all of her strength to bristly spin him around.

"Would you Purge me?" she repeated the initial question once she regained his fleeting attention.

Terra swallowed hard, he swallowed really hard but he didn't speak. Forcefully, Aqua shoved his helmet off his head and violently threw it down the hall. Her sparkling eyes shot frosty daggers into his as she waited for his answer. Terra's heart clenched painfully, her eyes weren't detached but they were still filled with resentment and abhorrence. He hated it…it hurt to see her look at him like that…

Once the sapphire Keyblade wielder saw Terra was not going to answer her she roughly ran her fingers though the sides of his hair. Slender fingers held him by his dark brown tresses and domineeringly compelled him to regard her.

"Now that you know me," Aqua spoke softly and delicately, her hands gently pulling at the locks that were held tightly in her clenched fists, "Would you Purge me?"

A lump the size of a moogle lodged in Terra's windpipe. He wasn't sure how to answer because he didn't really know the answer. Sure he didn't want to Purge her, he loved her but his sense of duty and responsibility still ran very deep. Terra wasn't sure what he would do if he were ordered to Purge her…he didn't like to think about it…he couldn't kill her…but he wasn't sure if he could disobey his monarchs either…

"I-I don't know," he finally answered truthfully, his midnight blue eyes falling to the ship's floor. He couldn't watch her reaction to his answer…

"That is what I thought," Aqua said before she let go of his hair and continued walk down the passageway alone. She did not wait for him.

Sighing heavily, Terra leaned against the metal wall and watched her leave him.

_**A/N: Thanks for reading! Ok lets talk about this chapter a bit. First of all I thought it was important for me to give everyone an idea of what Aqua was like before everything happened to her hence the flashback. And yes the Zack mentioned in the flashback WAS Zack Fair but let me make it ABUNDANTLY clear that I do NOT mean that scrawny unusual depiction of him that we saw in Birth By Sleep I mean Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core Zack. I repeat I mean Zack Fair from CRISIS CORE! If you do not know what I mean I encourage you to look it up! And yes I did kill off Auron (Final Fantasy X/Kingdom Hearts 2) in this chapter. Yeah I did that. Speaking of Auron's death that brings me to another point I need to make. Obviously, Terra isn't completely reformed yet. Remember he has been raised to be a killing machine and he isn't going to change overnight. And now I digress. Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_


	16. I Forgot to Remember to Forget

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy!

**Chapter 16**

**I Forgot to Remember to Forget**

Thunder rumbled outside of Tarnen Palace and rain began to sprinkle upon the unsuspecting city of Hollow Bastion. Precipitation splattered against the dual balcony doors of Terra's quarters. Aqua sat at the foot of the oversized bed within the luxurious crimson room and watched the raindrops stream down the clear glass of the doors that led to her favorite sitting place. Silently she sat and counted the pouring raindrops that teemed down the glass. After she got tired of counting the torrents she started seeing which drops would reach the bottom of the doors first.

Aqua had found her coping mechanism, repression. When Terra left her alone she would avoid thinking about anything. She wouldn't think about her family, she wouldn't think about Purges, she wouldn't think about her old life, and she wouldn't think about who she use to be. The Light Keyblade wielder found that the only way she could keep from going crazy or diving into perpetual despair was to think about the present. She only lived in the now. Everything else was too painful, but her present wasn't as terrible if she repressed the past. She didn't live from day to day but more moment to moment.

At that moment, she was waiting for Terra to return. The cerulean woman had gone to her lesson with Xaldin then she went to the gardens to enjoy the flowers and the deceivingly beautiful scenery. After that her guardian came to get her and sent her back to his living quarters so he could meet with the Court. She did as she was instructed and went to his room. Aqua had practiced her magic to the point of unbearable torment and now all she had to do was watch raindrops scamper across the glass of massive transparent doors that led to Terra's balcony.

The sound of the golden doorknob turning disturbed her eardrums and the azure female listened for Terra's clinking armor.

"Helmet," she chided without looking before the knight ever had the opportunity to speak.

With a disgruntled sigh Terra did as he was told and tossed the helmet onto his bed next to her.

"Good news, Blue," the earthen warrior stated cheerfully and made his way around the bed so he could face her. Once he reached her side of the bed he stood in front of the doors leading to the balcony and folded his sturdy arms.

Aqua was used to him calling her Blue in public but usually within the privacy of his room he called her by her real name. When Terra called her Blue in private it automatically made her expect the worst.

"You are getting your own room," he announced proudly with a pleased, smug smile upon his striking face.

The young woman recoiled.

"What?" Aqua replied in bewilderment as her body turned and her baffled eyes rose to meet his.

"That's right," the brunette said haughtily, "You don't have to stay with me anymore. The Overlords said you would be rewarded for good behavior. Did you not believe them?"

"Well they aren't the most trustworthy people I know," Aqua smirked and rolled her eyes.

"They were being honest when they told you that," Terra assured her confidently. His loyalty to the Overlords made her stomach lurch.

"It is just kind of hard to believe," she answered, her eyes going distant with every word she spoke.

"You're a grown woman. You are an adult. It is only fair that you are treated as one," the Dark Knight explained and began strolling around the canopy bed, "Besides, there is no point in you staying in here with me anymore. I don't even confine you anymore…we just lay together."

_Actually we basically cuddle but I don't suppose the details really matter, _Terra mused inwardly and tried to fight off the blush that fought to take over his cheeks.

Aqua knew all of this was true and that Terra was making excellent points but she was skeptical…no she was down right uncomfortable. Why was this conversation making her so uncomfortable? Didn't she want to get out of Terra's bed? She should be happy to hear that she was getting her own room…

"I am still in charge of you. I will still escort you to your lessons and we will still practice together, but you don't have to share a bed with me anymore," the man with navy eyes clarified with a satisfied smirk.

"Oh," the sapphire maiden uttered, her eyes drifting to Terra's armor-plated feet.

"Oh?" the Dark Keyblade master scoffed, "I go through the trouble of getting the Court to give you your own room and all I get is oh?"

The azure woman was not sure how she felt about all this. Months ago she would have been ecstatic but now she was almost terrified. It was true that she had found a coping mechanism for when Terra was away and when she was alone but she was never alone for long. If she had her own room she would be alone a lot more and being alone frightened her. Anyone could bust in on her if they wanted to. There was always a sense of security with Terra. She knew he would never let anyone harm her.

_My prickly security blanket…_she thought to herself.

"I'm sorry," Aqua whispered as she began fidgeting with the tips of her fingers, "I'm just kind of unsure."

Being alone also meant that she might be tempted to think and lately she didn't like doing that. Aqua had realized that thinking was what hurt her. She had stopped using her head and she had started letting things go…things were easier that way…

_Repress it. Repress it. Repress it, _she chanted like mantra and squeezed her weary eyes shut.

"If you are going to miss me that much I can always come stay the night with you and keep your bed warm," Terra somewhat joked and sat next to her on his bed.

"Don't be a pervert," Aqua said softly and vacantly.

She laced her fingers in her lap and Terra desperately fought the desire to hold her porcelain hands within his.

"You have been in my bed for months and I have not done a single dishonorable action," the knight jeered, "I don't think you have the right to call me a pervert."

Terra had actually _wanted _to do many dishonorable actions in his bed with her but he never tried a thing despite his savage, carnal desires. But it was getting harder and harder for him to do so and that was why he wanted her out of his bed. He knew he was probably one night away from doing something stupid and he couldn't do anything stupid.

"Fair enough," she mumbled and continued to mull over her situation.

_You are going to miss him, _a voice that sounded like the girl from Mist harshly chastised her.

"I wouldn't hate it if you visited me," the cerulean Keyblade wielder finally admitted as she glanced over at the man at her side.

Terra smiled and Aqua's heart thumped so hard against her sternum that it almost hurt.

She wanted him to visit her. Terra was her only constant there. No matter what happened Terra was always there. He was there to fight with, to talk to, and sometimes to even comfort her.

"I'll visit you as much as you want me to," the earthen male assured her before he brushed her hair off her shoulder. He didn't like it when she hid behind her hair, he wanted to see her and he didn't want her to hide from him.

"I will want you around more at first…you know until I adjust…" Aqua stated, blushing when she felt Terra's heated fingertips graze her shoulder when he moved her hair.

"Of course," he spoke sincerely, his voice tender yet heavy, "Once a day?"

The cobalt young woman nodded.

"You can always come after me if you need me…" the armored man uncomfortably cleared his throat, "I'm not leaving and you can usually ask around and find me…you know if you ever needed to. Plus you know where my room is…"

Their eyes met and Aqua grinned at him, "Thank you, Terra."

_I am going soft. I am so fucking soft I bet Moogles make jokes about how soft __**I **__am…_Terra harshly scolded himself.

"You can leave whenever you want and I will escort you to your room," the youthful knight announced as he rose to his feet and rotated his suddenly tense shoulders.

* * *

Xion was practically plastered to Riku's side as the foursome trekked through ZoZo. Ventus's hands twitched with anticipation and he mentally prepared himself to summon his keyblade at a moment's notice as Namine held one of his twitching appendages. Riku's hands grew hot as his body prepared to conjure if it came to it while the black haired girl next to him popped her knuckles anxiously.

They didn't need to conjure or call forth their Keyblades. They could not attract unwanted attention; they didn't need to draw any form attention within the rainy city. The more they blended in, the better.

The dreary cavernous and cracked streets of ZoZo were covered in puddles of tar and inky mud. Homeless bandits, thieves, and lepers lined the alleyways and sat on or by the many empty crates that were scattered along building sides. Some of the residents didn't even appear to be living. Many of the immobile bodies lying face down in pools of fallen rain and waste could easily be corpses. The men that were alive watched menacingly from gloomy backstreets filled with disorganized trashcans and wooden crates.

Each time they passed an alleyway or shadowy passageway, Riku instinctively pulled Xion closer to him and walked closer to Namine and Ventus.

"How are we even going to find the seeress?" Namine asked, wiping the hoard of raindrops off of her cherubic face.

Ventus scratched the back of his damp head and surveyed the area. ZoZo didn't have many buildings but the buildings the metropolis did have were many stories high. He shielded his electric blue eyes from the pelting rain and gazed up at the manmade structures of ZoZo. The establishments were rusted and had no windows, just creaky wooden shutters. Half of the buildings didn't even appear to be inhabited anymore. Timber doors were boarded shut with corroded nails while mold coated the stairwells that wrapped around the unusual towering buildings.

"I guess we are going to have to ask around. I do not have a clue where to even start and I am not about go busting into any of these hazardous looking buildings," Ventus explained as he continued to glare at the ominous structures.

"Did the Cyclopes tell you where the seeress is?" Riku asked again for the millionth time since Xion and Namine had told the boys about the puzzling encounter with the woman in Jidoor. The silver-haired combatant kicked at a random patch of grass that was fighting its way through the cracking cement of the street and waited their answer.

"No," Namine replied and tried to ring some of the precipitation out of her golden hair, "She just said to go to ZoZo and ask for Mona."

"I don't want to ask anyone here for anything," Xion stated firmly and she tried to disappear behind her hood as they passed another mob of hostile looking people.

"I don't either but the quicker we find the seeress the quicker we can leave and hopefully find Aqua," Ventus declared and began peering through the gathering gloom that surrounded the city for a somewhat friendly face.

"I don't recommend talking to anyone out here. Lets try and talk to a storeowner or something," Riku suggested as his ice blue eyes searched for an operational establishment.

For almost an hour the quartet tried to find a functioning business or an individual who might not try to mug or harm them. After entering several vacant shops and knocking on rusted, maroon doors the party traveled to the other side of the city and entered the lofty, multistory inn. The inn was the last option they had before they started talking to hookers and pickpockets. The other part of the city was no longer reachable, an earthquake had created a huge rift separating the urban area and pulling a few buildings down into the crevasse with it.

"Excuse me," Ventus spoke politely as he approached the front desk.

A homely middle-aged woman stood behind the desk. Her hair was pitch black with several thin streaks of white ran through her unnaturally long, ratty mane. The woman's pale green eyes shifted between the four strangers while she continued to eerily pluck the petals off the colorless flower arrangement that sat on the desk. Rats scampered across the floor and roaches scaled the grimy walls and crawled along the mustard yellow carpet.

"Need a room?" the innkeeper asked gruffly.

"Um, no," Ventus answered courteously, trying his best to ignore the roaches that almost scrambled across his feet, "We are looking for the seeress."

The woman's eyes narrowed in contemplation. A scrawny black cat leapt to her lap and she began roughly stroking the bony beast. She rubbed her chin with her free hand and dwelled on the statement.

"Mona?" Xion spoke up when she noticed the woman was not reacting to the word seeress.

Riku had begun stomping out the countless roaches with his heel while he waited for the strange woman to reply.

"She lives on the top floor, but she doesn't care for visitors anymore. She used to be a bit of a fortune-teller for a living. People would come to her for fun. Get her to tell them their fortunes and what not," the female innkeeper explained and scratched the back of the cat's disfigured bug infested ear, "Mona isn't as friendly as she used to be. No one comes to see her anymore as a result. If you want to go see her I wont stop you. Top floor, the only door at the top of the final staircase. You can't miss it."

"Thank you very much," Ventus replied mannerly and grabbed Namine by her shoulders and began swiftly escorting her up the reddish-brown staircase that was covered in dust.

"Oh and I wouldn't recommend calling her a seeress!" the bizarre woman called after the retreating team, "Not to many people are fond of that kind of title. Bad juju," she added with a cackle.

The longer they climbed the seemingly endless, under lit stairwells the more nervous Xion became. It was dawning on her of who they were going to see…a former Seer Sage.

"Wait you guys," Xion called once her nerves ultimately got the best of her.

Everyone stopped their advance and turned to face the black haired Keyblade wielder.

"Are we sure we need to do this? I mean we are going to see an ex Seer Sage. Not just a seeress but a _full blown_ Seer Sage," Xion said, her pale hand tightly gripping the rusted, greasy railing beside the staircase.

"You're getting nervous now?" Ventus inquired skeptically, "We walk through a town full of thieves, prostitutes, rapists, lepers, thugs you name it and you show no signs of fear but you are afraid of some ex seeress that you suggested we go to?"

"I'm not afraid. It just finally occurred to me what she is…or what she was. The woman said she served the Overlords. That is kind of intimidating," the young woman with short raven tresses stated.

"It is but that is also another reason we really need to talk to her. If she lived in Hollow Bastion and served the Overlords she probably has a lot more insight than most. She is the best lead we have gotten in a long time and I am not leaving until we at least _try_ to talk to her," Riku declared before he removed his hood and peeled back his blindfold.

Riku walked down the steps and stood in front of Xion and held her petite shoulders in his gloved hands.

"Xion, it will be alright. I promise," he assured her with a genuine smile.

Meekly, Xion smiled back and continued marching up the infinite amount of stairs.

When they reached the top tier there were no more hallways. All that remained was one more flight of stairs that led to the last room in the inn. It was as if they were walking into the attic itself. The room was completely isolated from the rest of the inn.

"Okay," Riku said with a sigh, "This is it. Last chance to turn back."

The group exchanged glances but no one said they wanted to turn back. They had left the safety of their home to find Aqua. They played with disaster daily to locate her and help her if necessary. The small group of four had committed to saving Aqua and they were not turning back or giving up until she was reunited with them and she was safe.

"Go ahead, Ven," Xion encouraged and nodded her head toward the door.

With a heavy sigh, Ventus knocked upon the tarnished, coppery door.

"Enter," a velvety voice instantly chimed from within the isolated living quarters.

Ventus slowly opened the door for his sisters. Once the two girls entered the dimly lit room, Riku and Ventus followed close behind.

"Shut the door," the smooth, elegant voice commanded and Ventus quickly obeyed. He didn't know this woman but he did know he didn't want to get on her bad side.

The room was dark and only lit by a small amount of candles and a few tiny lamps that gave off an eerie glow of green, purple, and pink. As their eyes adjusted more details of the room began to emerge. The walls were olive colored and the floors were covered in purple flooring with pink and blue squared designs. A rounded table covered in vibrant candles sat at the head of the room while a king sized bed with cadmium yellow covers jutted from the opposite wall. The colors inside the room were unorthodox and did not match at all.

An emerald chair with golden lining sat in one of the blackest corners of the room and within that chair sat the seeress. Ventus almost jumped out of his skin when he finally saw the shaded woman.

"A-Are you the seeress?" Ventus stuttered and instinctively reached for Namine's hand.

"Who wants to know?" the woman immersed in darkness asked cynically.

None of the party members knew how to answer her so they chose not to. The sound of water dripping off their sopping clothes and onto the bizarre flooring was the only sound echoing through the room while Ventus mulled over possible answers to the question she spoke again.

"I sense three Children of Light," the seeress spoke confidently and pointed at the three siblings, "And a prince of Darkness."

Ventus's eyes continued to adjust to the murkiness inside the room and he began to see the seeress' features. Her wavy hair was gray but covered in white stripes. The woman's eyes were an intense pale steel blue. The blonde male's eyes widened when he realized the seeress was completely blind.

The more he looked at her the more he realized she was not that old. Her hair was gray and white and her eyes were worn and decrepit but her skin was smooth and hardly marred by the aging process. The woman had aged but not because she was elderly. Something else had drained the life from her.

"Mona?" Ventus inquired and the woman nodded, "We came seeking your help."

"It has been a long time since I received visitors and it has been even longer since Children of Light have approached me. What could I possibly offer you?" Mona questioned and steadily ran her fingers over the texture of her armrest, "I have a feeling you have not come here for something trivial like when you will meet your soul mate."

"No. We are looking for someone. An elderly woman told us that you could help us," the blonde young man stated and walked a bit closer to the seeress.

"Perhaps," she answered curtly, placing her dignified hands under her chin.

Her washed out eyes shone supernaturally in the feeble candlelight while the clashing fragrances of the candles hung heavy in the cloudy room.

"Some Dark Knights took her. We are trying to figure out where she might be," Riku said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"How long has she been gone?" the blind woman asked. She ran her ring-covered fingers over a small flickering flame of one of the candles, but did not flinch when the blaze licked her skin.

"Months," Ventus said dejectedly and shook his head.

Ventus hated admitting how long she had been gone. It was hard to comprehend and it caused him physical pain to think of how much could happen in that amount of time. The horrible possibilities were endless and he was ashamed of himself for not finding her sooner…but he had done the best he could.

"Following a cold trail are we?" the seer chuckled, "Do you have anything of hers?"

Riku and Ventus looked at each other, "The bird?" Riku mentioned doubtfully.

"No. No pets. It has to be something she owns. A brush, a ribbon, a trinket, or any kind of object," Mona explained and ran her sophisticated hands through her lengthy curled tresses.

Xion instantly noticed how the seeress held herself. The middle-aged woman was refined and poised. The ex seeress had definitely lived within the Dark Realm. She moved similar to royalty despite her outward appearance. The magenta shirt she wore was long sleeved and the fabric was sheer around her arms and neckline. The neckline was circular but fell modestly just below her neck. Meanwhile the billowing shirt she wore was pitch black and ruffled around her legs like swells of darkness.

"We don't have anything of hers like that," Xion announced disappointedly, "I am sorry I should have thought of bringing something of hers," she quickly apologized to her companions.

"It's fine. You had no way of knowing," Ventus assured her as he patted her shoulder.

"In that case we will have to rely on other methods," Mona replied after her visitors had stopped speaking amongst themselves. Her hearing was impeccable, "You said Dark Knights took her? Was she Purged?"

"No," Riku responded with a shake of his head, "They just took her."

Mona's sightless eyes dilated for a moment before they fell back to their normal emotionless state, "Who saw her last?"

"Uh, I did," Riku reluctantly admitted. He started to raise his hand but he quickly remembered this woman could not see.

"The dark prince saw her last?" the seeress sneered and Riku reeled. The woman might be blind but she still managed to see and she wanted to prove it.

Mona held her hand out palm up, "I can sample your memories if you wish."

"Will it help you?" the silver haired Keyblade master asked suspiciously as he approached the woman and her peculiar offering.

"It might. Only one way to be sure," she answered and her elegant fingers twitched while she waited for his hand, "Do not be afraid. I will only take what you offer. The privacy of your mind will not be violated."

Riku frowned but he stood before the woman anyway, "What do I do?"

"Just think of the last time you saw her. Offer whatever you think will be helpful," the blind seeress said with a smile.

In spite of Riku's immense skepticism and distrust of the woman before him, he gave her his hand. When she felt the texture of his black gloves her rose wrinkled in disgust and she rapidly removed the object that prevented her from obtaining skin-to-skin contact. Mona cupped Riku's hand within both of hers and closed her pallid eyes.

The Dark Keyblade master could feel her tapping on his skull with her long, illusionary fingernails. It did not hurt but somehow he knew she was asking for his memories so he began to think of the last time he saw Aqua. The instant Riku began reminiscing inside his head the annoying tapping ceased and she was absorbing his memories like a sponge. He gave her all he had; he offered everything up to the point in which he blacked out.

Once Riku finished, Mona instantly released his appendage, "hmmm," she mumbled and held her hand over her mouth in contemplation.

"Well?" the silver haired young man inquired as he snatched his ebony glove off the floor placed the article of clothing back onto his hand.

"She is probably in Hollow Bastion," Mona announced flatly.

"Fuck," Riku hissed under his breath.

"What? Are you sure?" Ventus asked frantically and approached her armchair.

"I know that this is not the news you were hoping to hear, but I do not see any other reason for this kind of abduction," the woman continued.

"What makes you so sure?" Riku said, trying his best to control the volume of his voice.

"Because something similar happened to me," Mona answered with a dark, sinister smile and the room fell deadly quiet.

"They probably wanted to use her so whatever they wanted to do to her they have probably already done it by now," she continued as everyone else's blood ran cold.

"What do you mean?" Namine asked directly and held her hands over her quivering heart.

"They most likely want to use her powers as their own. She is probably going through or has gone through rehabilitation. Your friend is probably one of their many pawns by now," the former Seer Sage replied abruptly.

"No. Aqua would never do that," Xion said feverishly, "She wouldn't. She would die before serving the Dark Rule."

"_Your _Aqua probably wouldn't, but _theirs _would," Mona stated bluntly, "That is what rehabilitation is all about. It slowly turns you into someone else. Someone that is much more compliant. Someone that will obey them and do what they want."

"Do you think I wanted to be a Seer Sage?" the blind woman asked gruffly, "I was a Child of Light once, but they took me to their capital and rehabilitated me. Before I knew what happened to me I was an obedient Seer Sage."

"But you escaped. I mean you are here now," Xion mentioned hopefully.

"No. I didn't escape," Mona laughed ominously and shook her head dejectedly, "They used me up then threw me out with their other worthless tools. I went blind because I am not a natural seer. I had to try much harder to please them and keep up with the other seers. It almost killed me. Being a seer drained the life right out of me. It is why my hair is gray and why my eyes are visionless."

"They found another girl to replace me. She was but a child but her abilities were remarkable. A natural seer and a child that had not yet been contaminated by Light. They named her Larxene and once I taught her all I knew, I was disposed of. That is what your friend has to look forward to; the day of her disposal. No one escapes from the Dark Capital, it has never been done and I am confident that it will never _be_ done," the seeress continued morbidly.

"So you are saying that she is a seer or something by now?" Ventus finally had enough composure to speak.

"She will be whatever they want her to be," Mona answered harshly, "And when they are done with her she will walk through the same nothingness that I do. A castaway from the Light and a scourge of the Darkness."

* * *

"It's beautiful," Aqua said desolately as she walked through her new living quarters and ran her fingertips over the pristine golden surface of her vanity.

It was more than what she needed but the room was stunning. The chamber was smaller than Terra's but it was still much more than what Aqua required. The room reminded her of Larxene's room the few times she had entered it, except this room was not nearly as ornate or extravagant or as golden. Larxene's room was covered in gold and jade but Aqua's new room was mostly white with faint hints of powder blue scattered throughout its space. Terra had probably picked it out especially for her.

A snowy canopy bed sat in the center of the room. Billowing, white fabric with pale blue floral designs cascaded down each of the four banisters that supported the oversized canopy above the bed. The bed itself was pure white; even the headboard was white, silky baby blue pillows sat at the head of the bed and were surrounded by countless chalky pillows.

An embroidered, colorless armchair sat in front of the foot of the bed. A golden vanity was at the bed's right and was covered in golden candlesticks, a music box, and other priceless trinkets. The vanity's gold trimmed mirror towered to the ceiling and was framed by two large candle like light fixtures that were mounted upon the bleached wall. The walls were coated in powder blue trim with engraved florets on some of the walls.

Everything was overdone. The paintings of landscapes upon her walls were exorbitant. The polished wooden floors were flawless and the ice blue curtains that kept the sun from shining through the oversized windows were made of the finest satin.

"I made sure they gave you a room with a balcony," Terra stated as he took a seat at the tiny ivory table with two matching chairs that had blue cushions.

"I know how much you liked mine," he added with an appealing smile and carelessly propped his feet onto the miniature table that sat in front of Aqua's balcony doors.

The cerulean maiden gave a vague grin at his kind words but she did not explore the patio. She knew Terra was trying to make her happy but it wasn't really working. He cared for her. She knew he did, anyone with eyes could see that he had grown fond of her and maybe somewhere deep down inside herself she cared for him as well…her feelings toward him had definitely changed…her feelings toward everything had changed.

Her memories of her home and family weren't the only memories she had been repressing lately; she also repressed her unpleasant memories of Terra. Repressing everything made everything a bit easier to swallow. It allowed her to accept Terra and think of him as two different people, the man and the Dark Knight. She hated the Dark Knight…but she didn't hate the man…no she definitely didn't hate him.

"Thank you," Aqua said softly and elegantly sat in the white chair at the foot of her bed.

"This is usually where rehabilitation subjects or special visitors stay. It hasn't been inhabited in years," Terra explained as he got up to inspect the state of the room.

He ran his fingers across the vanity's glossy surface to check for dust.

"I told them to clean everything up for you," he added and watched for her reaction.

Aqua nodded her appreciation.

"Hey," his voice turned gentle and caring, "Are you okay?" the knight added and knelt in front of her. Absent-mindedly he placed a lock of cobalt behind her ear before she quickly swatted his unwanted hand away from her face.

Terra could see it. Aqua's spirit was breaking. She had reached the point where she simply accepted everything. Her will to fight was fading just as the Overlords and Seer Sages had predicted. The azure woman looked sad and almost defeated.

The Dark Knight slid his hands into the open slits on the sides of her skirt so he could feel the cool skin of her legs. He rubbed her knees with his hands and watched her detached eyes.

"Hmmm?" Aqua answered and her eyes brightened causing Terra's heart to thunder fiercely in his chest. Her Light wasn't completely extinguished and he was glad.

_What am I thinking? The whole point of this was to get rid of that pesky radiance. Why am I happy to see it? _

"Y-yeah I'm okay," she continued with a small smile, "I am just a bit overwhelmed." It was not a complete lie.

"Hey. Want to go out to the practice field and train?" the earthen warrior inquired, "I won't even wear my armor and I might even let you have a few free shots."

Terra's hands were getting mischievous; they were growing impatient with Aqua's innocent knees so they began traveling further up her chilled, porcelain legs. The knight's hands gingerly caressed her lower thighs while he spoke to her. His thumbs stroked in small circles and his fingers feathered across the tender flesh of her thighs.

He needed to stop. The whole point of giving her this room was to stop behavior like this from happening. It was innocent enough at that moment but he knew what he wanted it to become. He knew wanted to ravage her. Terra wanted to sling her onto that neatly made bed and do things to her that would make her claw that bed to fucking smithereens. He didn't want one inch of her body unexplored. Her taste needed to fill his mouth, her smell needed to fill his nostrils, and her cool skin needed to be warmed by his thermal hide.

"It's raining," Aqua stated with a chuckle. She was amused by his obliviousness and even the ministrations he was tenderly applying to her milky legs.

"We could go anyway if you wanted," Terra replied, his hands continuing to honorably fondle her lower thighs.

"It's cold and I would rather not get sick," she answered firmly, "I would love to practice though. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," the brunette responded, his voice was suddenly very gruff and laced with lust.

A chill ran through Aqua's traitorous body when Terra's scalding fingertips traveled a bit further up into her skirt and onto even more sensitive flesh on the inside of her thighs.

The Dark Knight felt it. He felt her tremor against the boiling palms of his hands and it made his groin twitch. Her body was responding to him and it was enough to drive him wild. She didn't speak or move but the tremor implied that she wanted him or at least her body did. Terra had been with many women and he knew a chill or a shutter was usually a good sign.

Instinctively, Aqua's legs spread a bit. She didn't know why and she couldn't explain it but his hands felt…good…she didn't want him to continue but she didn't really want him to stop either.

Her body didn't know what he was going to do next but it wanted it. Her double-crossing body wanted his simmering hands to move upward, her body knew it would feel even better if they traveled farther in…

The Child of Light had basically given him permission to trek further in, to run his hand all over her extremely responsive inner thighs. Terra's member was almost painfully hard, his throat was unbearably dry, and he was suddenly very thirsty. He was dehydrated and he needed nourishment. He needed her…but he couldn't take her…as badly as he wanted to he couldn't…

_No. Stop. Remember yourself. Remember who she is. Remember why you gave her this room. To keep yourself from doing something stupid and you are definitely one bad move away from doing something really fucking stupid, _Terra harshly chastised himself.

"We have to go see Vexen later," Terra announced as he watched Aqua's beautiful blushing face. His hands casually traveled back down to her knees as if they had never done anything lewd at all.

"Really?" the sapphire maiden complained and fought the blush that persistently hung on her cheeks.

_What were you thinking? He was just trying to comfort. Stop making something out of nothing and stop blushing like a virgin…_Aqua scolded privately.

"Yeah," the bronze knight uttered while he removed his hands from the inside of her skirt and chivalrously fixed her skirt so that her knees were no longer exposed, "but not for your suppressant or blood tests. You are going to have lessons with him."

Aqua placed a hand on his retreating wrist, "Can we stay here for a bit longer?"

Terra's royal blue eyes went wide, "S-sure."

The female Keyblade wielder walked to her bed and lied on her back and stared at the canopy before she patted the spot next to her. Without giving it a second thought, Terra obeyed and took the spot next to her and began staring at the ceiling with her.

During one of their lengthy conversations a gravelly cough sounded in the opened door leading to Aqua's room. Terra had left the door open. The bronze knight jerked into an upright position and peered into the doorway.

"What's wrong?" the young woman asked genuinely as she too sat up and watched Terra's unreadable expression. She wanted to know why he had stopped talking to her.

"You are aware that you two are supposed to be with Vexen by now," Xaldin scolded both Aqua and Terra from the doorway, his burly arms placed firmly behind his back.

"I'm aware," Terra answered curtly.

The navy-eyed warrior quickly leapt to his feet. He could not get off of that bed quick enough. Terra couldn't imagine what Xaldin was thinking. Xaldin had caught him laughing and having an in depth conversation with the rehabilitation subject. Terra wished that Xaldin would have walked in on them having sex instead. But no the Elder had caught him having a meaningful discussion with her. He had been careless. Again.

"Get ready, Aqua," Terra instructed firmly, "I'll wait outside."

Once the high-ranking knight was in the hallway he swiftly shut the door behind him.

"Vanitas has been saying that you were madly in love with her but I didn't want to believe it. I was hoping he was just saying it to get a rise out of you and to make you look unprofessional," Xaldin rebuked with a disappointed shake of his head, "I never would have dreamed that one of my knights would sink so low."

Terra remained silent. He simply held his head down in disgrace.

"What are you doing, Terra?" Xaldin asked tersely.

It was a good question. One that Terra had asked himself thousands of times a day, but he could never find the right answer. Technically, he knew what he was doing. He was showing affection, he was comforting her, he was offering her companionship, he was trying to be everything that she wanted him to be, and he was trying to be what she needed…

"What do you have to gain from being kind to her? From _bonding _with her?" the spear wielding Elder spat, "Do you want her companionship? Is that why you are doing all this for her? You have given her a room and apparently you also offer her fellowship. What next? And to what end? Tell me, Terra. I am genuinely curious."

Terra shrugged. He had overstepped his bounds as a caretaker and he knew it, he had no excuse. He was a shameful disgrace and an unprofessional slob that had let a vapid Child of Light shackle his heart.

"What? To love, and be loved in return?" Xaldin mocked cruelly, "How could she love someone she has always regarded as a beast?"

* * *

Throughout Aqua's entire lesson with Vexen, Zexion kept staring at her and scribbling in his book. Frustrated, the aquamarine female slammed the book she was being forced to read onto the desk she sat at within one of Vexen's several laboratories.

"What?" she finally snapped, "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Zexion did not answer he only continued to write untidily within his book.

"Why is he even here?" Aqua flared again and pointed in the direction of the gray haired Seer Sage.

"Do not question us girl," Vexen hissed and continued to examine his test tubes that he had brought in from another room.

The indigo maiden had no clue of why she was even in this room with these men. They weren't even paying attention to her. Half the time they weren't even in the room. They contiguously dashed in and out of the lab. She could hear them running down the hall to another lab but she had no clue what they were doing, all she knew was that they kept rapidly bringing samples back and forth from room to room. Then they would take notes and sprint back down the hall. She was getting a headache from just watching them.

"Can I leave yet?" the sapphire Keyblade wielder asked impatiently and stretched in her elevated chair that sat in front of one of the many white tables of the lab.

"Are you done reading the chapter on hearts and Light extraction?" Vexen questioned smugly as he swirled the chunky, black fluid in the test tube he held in his gloved hands.

"No…" Aqua reluctantly admitted and slammed her head on the book.

"Then you are not permitted to leave," the elder answered snidely and scribbled in a notepad.

The book was horrible. It was morbid biology and she hated reading it. The hardback spoke of unholy experiments and bizarre, metaphysical anatomy. The current chapter she was skimming through was about hearts, how susceptible they are, how they contained puzzling, metaphysical components, and how they react to exposure to Darkness or Radiation. So far no human has been able to survive the Radiation process and Aqua wasn't sure why anyone would_ want_ someone to survive it.

Human hearts were touched by both Light and Darkness; however, there were a few recorded cases of hearts of pure Light but never a heart of pure Darkness. Because of this, some _brilliant _man invented a procedure called Radiation to see if it was possible for a human to live with a heart of pure Darkness and so far the answer was no.

Aqua was sure the Overlords loved this concept and that was why she was being forced to learn about it now. She was sure if they found someway for people to survive Radiation they would force people like her to undergo the bleak therapy to extinguish the mystical Light within them. They might even do it to themselves so they could _completely_ eclipse themselves.

"Zexion come with me. I need you to help me inspect this subject," Vexen demanded and Zexion nodded before following the man out of the room.

The male seer had left his book on the desk. The instant Vexen and Zexion were out of the room Aqua sprung to her feet and made a mad dash for the book. She spun the book around and began flipping through it toward the last few pages of the book. Curiosity had gotten the best of her and she wanted to know what the brat was writing about her.

Zexion's writing was rough and hard to read but she managed. As she read she found nothing of any importance. It wasn't anything she didn't already know until she got to the more recent sections. She skimmed through a section labeled Heartless and noticed a few rough sketches of black beasts with yellow eyes. Some were labeled Shadows, others Soldiers, and more were tagged as Large Bodies. There were thousands of pages on these monsters and her eyes went wide when she read that they were once people. She realized that this was what happened to those that had managed to survive the Radiation procedure…they became the black monsters Zexion had labeled as Heartless…

They had done it. They had gotten individuals to survive the abominable procedure. That was what they were doing down the hall, she was sure of it. They were grooming and creating these beasts in the larger laboratories. The more she read the more she felt like she would vomit. She read until she physically couldn't read anymore so she left the foul section.

The next segment spoke of her becoming a Dark Knight but the pages were scribbled out, torn, and marked through. After that the book began speaking of her becoming the first Black Mage. A being that could solely cast superlative black magic…no white magic…no healing…no Cure…no Holy…

Aqua's heart plunged into the bottom of her stomach and she held her hands over her mouth.

_Wait…wait…what was that I saw on Vexen's desk…I think I saw some blueprints when I first came in here…_

The panic stricken young woman hurriedly sprinted to Vexen's desk and began sifting through his messy piles of countless paperwork. As she suspected, Zexion's book matched up with Vexen's paperwork. Vexen had blueprints of the Heartless and of the Black Mage…and the Black Mage looked just like her… Frantically, Aqua flipped through the countless files and pages of her blood work and the surgeries, treatments, and tests they planned on performing on her to transform her into this Black Mage.

The representation of her as a Black Mage was uncanny. It looked exactly like her. There were several different designs. Sometimes she wore a witch hat and tight, revealing robes. In other layouts she wore a simple black cloak with blue lining. They were planning on making a standard, a uniform. If she were a success there would be more Black Mages…

Suddenly she felt very light headed and she shakily tried to put everything back into its original place before the men returned. Clumsily, Aqua returned to her chair and buried her face in her book and pretended to be focusing on it. Trembling hands held her head upright as her mind swarmed.

The Dark Rule had unmatched brawn. The Dark Knights ensured that. They ruled the world with unmatched and unrivaled strength. But that was not enough for the Overlords; they wanted unmatched sorcery and necromancy as well and if they were going achieve that they would need the Black Mage. Just as there had to be the first Dark Knight…there will have to be the first Black Mage…and she would be that Black Mage.

**_A/N: Thanks for reading! Ah ha! You thought I forgot about the Heartless didn't you! I didn't but obviously they are going to be different in this universe but that will be addressed more later. Oh and I got a question about female Dark Knights and the answer is no there are not any female Dark Knights. Mainly because I didn't really have any female characters to work with and I wanted to make Larxene a Seer Sage so I just made all of the Dark Knights male. I didn't really give it much more thought than that. It is just how my vision played out. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_**


	17. Better Luck Next Time

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.

**Chapter 17**

**Better Luck Next Time**

_I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here,_ Aqua's panic-stricken mind chanted.

She wanted Terra. She wanted him to come get her so she could leave this horrible room. The problem was she didn't know where he was and she didn't know when he was coming back but she did know that she couldn't stand it anymore.

"I'm done," she lied and Aqua hated lying. It was against her nature but that was how bad things had gotten and how badly she wanted out of the disturbing lab.

"Fine," Vexen scowled and pointed to the door with the silver pen that was in his hand without giving Aqua a second glance, "You are dismissed."

Before Vexen could finish his sentence Aqua had basically teleported out of the room. She ran down the halls and searched every nook and cranny for Terra.

_What if he left town? What if he isn't here? He better not have left me here all alone, _she thought privately.

Aqua was about to leave the palace and start searching the town when she crashed into a suit bronze, gold, and black armor. She bounced off the protective covering and almost fell backwards but a warm, familiar hand grabbed her forearm and pulled her back to the steel-plated chest. Automatically, the cerulean girl buried herself into the cozy embrace she knew would welcome her.

"You're shaking," Terra, stated flatly as his arms hung loosely around her, "What's wrong?"

"Y-you have to come with me," she stammered before she quickly left his compassionate hold and seized one of his arms.

"What have you done?" the knight started to scold as Aqua began hauling him down the narrow hallway toward the isolated, eerie wing of Tarnen that contained the laboratories.

"Nothing!" Aqua whispered and quickly hid both of them behind another passageway before they reached the room Aqua had just exited.

"What are you—" the brunette started to ask before Aqua placed one of her hands over his scalding mouth. His lips touched her velvety skin and his scorching breath slithered in between her ivory fingers.

"Shh!" she insisted and Terra rolled his royal blue eyes at her.

The sapphire maiden peaked around the corner and watched as Vexen and Zexion shut the door behind them and lurched down the hallway. Once she was sure they were gone for good, she grabbed Terra's stubborn, reluctant arm causing him to groan in frustration as she pulled him down the hallway to the unoccupied lab.

"You do know I live here and I could just go in if I wanted to. There is no reason for the sneaky shit," Terra complained while the cobalt woman tugged him into the laboratory.

"There is when I found something I wasn't supposed to," the girl with sky blue eyes stated and began sifting through the papers on Vexen's desk.

"Using your innocence to your advantage?" Terra teased as he approached the desk and looked over Aqua's dainty shoulder at the documents she was rummaging through.

He couldn't make out any of the details but it looked like lots of sketches, designs, and diagrams. His deep blue eyes squinted while he tried to examine the vellums the young woman was rapidly flipping through.

"Look," she whispered when she found the blueprints for the Black Mage and the Heartless.

The Light Keyblade wielder handed the papers to Terra and the knight took them and began examining them. He was quiet for a long time as he looked through the many pages of notes. Aqua watched intently while Terra's eyes scanned over the many pages of documents and his long tanned fingers flicked through the designs.

"Did you know about this?" she asked calmly when he didn't seem surprised by her findings.

Terra squinted his navy eyes and shrugged, "Vaguely. The Heartless are Ansem's project and I don't know about your Black Mage stuff."

The Dark Keyblade master knew Lord Ansem was wanting to make some kind of monster to help knights perform more difficult tasks or something to that effect but he had no idea they were getting so close to actually making the..._things_.

"You didn't know _anything_ about the Black Mage project," Aqua inquired skeptically and took a confident step toward her companion.

"Look," Terra replied with a heavy sigh before squeezing the bridge of his nose, "I knew they wanted to use your magic or something but I didn't know the details."

"Why aren't you surprised by this?" the frantic girl almost yelled as she snatched the blueprints from Terra's big hands.

He could understand why she was overwhelmed and shaken up by all of this but Terra was raised in this strange world of experiments and projects. Bizarre things like this were a frequent occurrence, a part of life and none of it really surprised him anymore.

"I've lived here my whole life remember," the bronze knight snapped when she yanked the papers from his hands.

Aqua's eyes dilated and her skin blanched, "Have you had something like this done?"

"Like what?" Terra grumbled, clearly becoming impatient and annoyed.

"Like some kind of experimental procedure!" the azure woman cried and pointed to Vexen's notes.

"Yeah. I have," the earthen warrior answered as if it was an ordinary question.

"What did they do to you?" the cerulean maiden inquired softly and watched the man she was speaking to closely.

"Oh you know, this and that," Terra replied vaguely while he roamed the room casually and began inspecting the many test tubes and vials in the blindingly white room.

Aqua huffed and blew her bangs out of her face. She hated when Terra was vague with her. It was a simple question why couldn't he just answer her. If she was going to have experiments done on her she wanted to know what to expect.

"I think I deserve more of an answer than that. If I am going to undergo a procedure to become a Black Mage I think I have the right to know what I will have to go through," Aqua probed again and crossed her arms.

Terra smirked at her revived feisty attitude. He liked her like that way.

"You will probably undergo something completely different," the knight responded. He doubted telling her about his _medical history _would give her any insight or peace of mind.

"I don't care. I want to know what they do to Dark Knights," Aqua hissed and tapped her slender fingers impatiently on her arms.

"Nothing major. We are just injected with Darkness," Terra answered casually and inspected a vial full of thick, blackened fluid.

"Like Radiation?" the young woman asked and followed her guardian across the lab.

"No. It isn't like Radiation," the bronze warrior mumbled, "It is a physical injection, kind of like your magic suppressant."

"How can they inject someone with Darkness?" Aqua thought aloud and shook her head in disbelief.

"They make a solution of organic compounds. The solution contains hormones, vitamins, and alkaloids. After the solution is made they cast Dark on it," Terra summoned the arcane magic in the palm of his hand for emphasis, "They cast Dark until the solution completely absorbs the element of Darkness."

Sky blue eyes watched the cryptic component swirl around Terra's sizable hand. Deep hues of black, indigo, and violet spiraled around Terra's fingers and licked up his wrist. The savage element did not harm him and the brunette didn't flinch when it caressed his hand and flared off his fingertips.

"After that it is put into an intravenous drip feed. They insert the IV into the subject's arm and then they wait until the entire dosage has been injected into the individual's bloodstream. If they survive, they are able to continue their Dark Knight training," Terra explained and closed his hand, causing the mysterious conjuring to disperse. Darkness puffed between his fingers before it completely vanished.

"What do you mean if they survive?" Aqua squeaked as she looked up into Terra's dark eyes.

"It is another way of weeding out the weak. Only the strong survive the treatment and only the strong are allowed to be Dark Knights," the Dark Keyblade master replied harshly.

"How old were you when you had to go through the treatment?" the azure female asked, her eyes swirling with concern.

"Hmmm…twelve…or thirteen," Terra answered as he squinted and looked at the ceiling, trying to remember exactly how old he was when he got his first injection.

"That is really young to undergo something like that," Aqua stated bluntly. She didn't care if he didn't like her reply; it was true.

"Hey the dosage was reduced by the time I got it. So technically it was easier to survive by the time I got the treatment. Vanitas got the larger amount. He was the guinea pig. Dark Knights didn't use to get any form of treatment. It wasn't something that was required until we started training," the young man countered.

"Maybe that is what is wrong with him," the blue-haired girl said softly, her dazzling eyes falling to the chalky floor.

Terra chuckled darkly, "Maybe it is what is wrong with all of us."

"That's not funny," Aqua scolded, "Why did you even have to have it? What was the point?"

"It is basically a steroid. It enhances performance and allowed us to call forth Darkness at will if we had not already gained the ability to. Roxas couldn't cast Dark until he had the procedure," Terra said indifferently.

"Could you?" she asked out of pure curiosity even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"Of course," the Dark Knight retorted confidently with an arrogant smirk.

"I don't think my procedure will be that easy…" Aqua mentioned desolately.

"Probably not," Terra answered honestly, "They are probably going to do something that will restructure your necromancy. They will have to do something pretty drastic to completely remove your ability to use white magic. Not to mention what they will have to give you to enhance the magic you already posses. But don't worry they wouldn't waste their time on you if they didn't think you could survive it."

"Thanks that makes me feel all better," Aqua grumbled sarcastically as she threw the paperwork at Terra's head.

"Don't worry about it. They probably don't even have the procedure ready yet. It will take a while for them to come up with the ideal procedure to get the results they want. But just think of how badass you will be! You realize that you will be able to cast magic like Ultima?" Terra stated in awe as he picked up the blueprints Aqua threw at him and examined their contents again.

"I'm thrilled," Aqua griped snidely and walked to the door, "Can we go now?"

Suddenly, Aqua was wondering why she brought him in here in the first place. Maybe she was hoping he would be as shocked as she was. Maybe she wanted him to be appalled and concerned for her. Maybe she was wanting him to protect her. She wasn't sure of exactly what it was she had been wanting from him but she knew that she didn't want him to be this excited or this calm.

Terra rearranged the files and pages and tried to put everything back in its original place.

"Sure. I'll walk you to your room."

* * *

Terra was on patrol in the Dark Capital. It was the Overlords polite way of saying he had the day off and to wait around while Aqua had her lesson. He stood in one of the shadowed corners of the town square and surveyed the area emotionlessly while time slowly ticked away. With arms crossed tightly over his sturdy chest, midnight blue eyes bore through the metal of his helmet and observed citizens purchase goods at stores while children and teenagers played and slurped on sea salt ice cream.

The ebony warrior was bored and he was getting anxious. Axel and Roxas were out-of-town and he wasn't in the mood to hang out with Saix and Demyx and he _definitely_ wasn't in the mood to deal with Larxene or Vanitas.

_I need new friends. Maybe I should have stayed with Aqua and Marluxia. At least I would have been somewhat amused in there. I could watch Aqua…_Terra thought as he began to fantasize about his lovely captive.

Terra didn't get to see her as much since she wasn't living in his room anymore and he missed her. She was becoming more and more independent and he didn't have to force her to go to her lessons that much anymore. Sometimes she would complain and sometimes she would refuse to go but she was _a lot_ more compliant. He knew it wouldn't be long before she started going on her own and she wouldn't need him at all anymore…Terra wasn't sure what he would do when that happened…he supposed he would go back to being an active Captain of the Dark Knights and he would conduct Purges as he had before Aqua came into his life.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" the gruff voice of Vanitas rang out as the crimson knight approached the brunette that was hidden within a corner between two store buildings, "Shouldn't the white witch be with you?"

"I think I am about to leave town for a bit," Terra replied, deadpan, "And why would she be with me. Everyone knows she basically takes care of herself now."

It was true. Almost everyone accepted her and some of the Elders didn't even wait for Terra to come get her after her lessons. Half the time they would dismiss her on their own then Terra would have to go and track her down.

"You don't know who is here, do you?" Vanitas asked with way too much amusement in his gravely voice. Terra's twisted foster brothers tone made the earthen knight's nerves bristle.

"No?" Terra inquired, uncrossing his arms and prying himself off the wall he was leaning against.

"Fuck. I knew you were slipping but I didn't think you had gotten this dense," the golden-eyed combatant sneered and rubbed the top of his helmet as if he were rubbing his forehead.

"What are you talking about, Vanitas," the brown-haired young man asked, his tone becoming much more serious.

"Diz is in town," Vanitas revealed with a devilish smile radiating within his sleek, colorless helmet while eager venom dripped from his canines.

"Fuck!" Terra spewed and began sprinting to the Palace of Retribution where Aqua would be with Marluxia.

He had to find her and he had to find her fast. If she learned that Diz was in Hollow Bastion or if Diz found her it would be utter chaos. Diz was supposedly neutral but Terra was positive the man would aid Aqua. The chancellor of Naefre would attempt to put an end to the rehabilitation and possibly even revoke neutral status if he discovered the innocent girl dwelling within the Dark Capital against her will. Aqua knew Diz well, she had told Terra that on multiple occasions and he knew Aqua would make a break for it if she knew Diz was in the city. She would seek his help in order to escape.

The innocent looking maiden might have everyone else fooled with her compliance but Terra knew that a rebellious fire still lingered within her. They didn't know her like he did. They didn't understand her as he did. They didn't see the longing in her detached eyes when she looked to the horizon or the envy she held for birds and their ability to fly away.

The Dark Knight barged into the Palace of Retribution and barreled into Marluxia's small study. Royal blue eyes darted around the room and panic surged inside of Terra's bulging veins when his eyes did not locate a girl with blue hair.

_That fucker dismissed her!_

The seer was ignoring him. Marluxia sat at his desk and wrote elegantly on a creamy piece of parchment. Terra's blood boiled, he knew the Seer Sage heard him barge in and he knew the seer knew that he wanted Aqua. Marluxia was fucking with him.

Forcefully, the brunette slammed his gauntleted hands onto the desk. The blow was so hard and so swift, for a moment Terra thought the desk might actually break. Wood splintered and cracked under the knight's monstrous strength.

"Where is she?" Terra roared as his steel-plated fingers dug into the mahogany surface of Marluxia's desk.

Marluxia's eyes did not raise and he did not stop his calligraphy, "That is none of my concern," he stated flatly.

"Damn it Marluxia! Just tell me where she is!" Terra bellowed, his enraged voice echoing throughout the entire palace.

Terra had to find her. She couldn't escape. She couldn't find Diz. She couldn't get away. She couldn't even try to get away! They would both reap the dire consequences of her escape or even an attempted escape.

"There is no reason to yell, Terra," the man with salmon colored hair replied coolly and suavely.

That did it. That set him off. Terra effortlessly hurled the desk across the room and grabbed the pink neckerchief that wrapped around Marluxia's throat.

"TELL ME!" the irritated combatant bellowed but the composed seer was not fazed.

"Terra, your temper will be the death of you," the male Seer Sage hissed forebodingly as his cavernous eyes narrowed.

It was a threat or maybe even a prediction but Terra didn't care. At that moment Terra's supposed future demise was not important. All that mattered to him was finding Aqua.

"I am ten seconds away from strangling you to death with your stupid fucking pink scarf! You don't even have to use your blasphemous powers! I have predicted your future for you!" with each threat he uttered Terra could feel Marluxia digging into his brain with spiked tentacles and it was causing him immense amounts of physical suffering but the seer underestimated him. Terra was trained to endure endless amounts of agonizing pain.

The knight shifted behind the seer and he began coiling the pale red neckerchief around Marluxia's tense neck. Terra tightened the manmade noose around the Seer Sages throat just enough to cut off the circulation but left it loose enough so that the man could speak if he chose to. The torture taking place inside Terra's head intensified and Marluxia began clawing at Terra's remorseless hands.

"Go ahead! Mind fuck me all you want!" Terra threatened monstrously, his voice ominous and deadly as he tightened the scarf's hold on the seer's neck, "I can withstand the pain until you stop breathing!"

Terra wasn't bluffing and Marluxia knew it. The elite knight could easily withstand the pain until he died and Marluxia knew the brute was just crazy enough to kill him and not give it a second thought until he got in trouble for it later.

"She is probably in the gardens," the salmon haired seer rasped and tugged at the scarf that was choking him, "She usually goes there after our lessons. We finished early so I let her go."

The instant Marluxia gave Terra what he wanted, the strangulation ceased and the fuming knight bolted out of the room.

Blood gushed from Terra's nose as he ran to the gardens. His head was in absolute anguish. The bronze warriors temples throbbed and blood spurted from his flared nostrils with each stride he took. Even though Terra tolerated the aggressive violation of his brain, his body was still suffering the consequences of withstanding the intense assault. He was sure his brain was actually hemorrhaging.

_Fucking seer almost killed me, _Terra mentally cursed the seer before he removed his helmet and wiped the scarlet fluid that continued to leak from his nose.

After what seemed like an eternity, he found her. She was sitting upon a fountain within the spacious garden and was tracing her fingers along the chilled surface. Slender ivory fingers slid across the lily pads that floated along the water's surface. Aqua was still inside the capital and she wasn't with Diz.

Aqua's head rose and she peered across the garden. A smile blossomed across her face when she saw Terra but the twinkle quickly faded when she saw the blood on his face and the uneasy look plastered across his hard features. His body language was rigid, strained, and indignant. Something was wrong.

Rapidly, she leapt to her feet and ran to him.

"Terra you're bleeding," Aqua said tenderly when she reached him. The azure woman pulled her sweater's sleeve down over her hand and used her white sleeve to gently wipe the gathering vital fluid off of Terra's unreadable face.

Terra sniffed and tried to reel some of the oozing fluid back into his draining cranium. Instinctively, he twitched and jerked when she touched his throbbing, sensitive head.

"Hold still," she chastised softly and held his still face with one hand and rubbed the blood off with her lowered sleeve.

Relief washed over Terra as Aqua nurtured him and he subtly leaned into her refreshing touch. Her cool hand rested on his flushed cheek and her scent flowed into his bloody nose while she held her sweater's soft sleeve to his hemorrhaging snout. It amazed him that she didn't mind that his foul blood was coating her bleached sweater. The girl's maternal instincts were unmatched. No one ever cared or worried about him the way she did. He knew she hated him but she still put his wellbeing above her loathing.

"It's just a nose bleed," Terra grumbled against her wrist.

"Yeah. I am sure Marluxia had _nothing _to do with this," Aqua stated sarcastically as she gingerly removed the cuff of her sleeve from Terra's nose and inspected him. Carefully, the cerulean maiden checked his ears and brushed his hair off his temples so she could make sure he wasn't bleeding anywhere else.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" she asked once she was sure he was no longer loosing blood.

Terra immediately tensed and he ground his teeth against each other in irritation within his blood filled mouth. He hated how clever she was. She didn't miss a thing.

"N-nothing. I just…I just wanted to find out where you were…" the young man mumbled before Aqua's hands left his face.

"Don't lie to me, Terra," Aqua countered, "Why were you running out here like something was wrong? I'm not stupid."

"I couldn't find you and I wanted us to head back," he lied before he spat some of the coppery blood out of his mouth.

Aqua observed Terra closely. His eyes were wild and shifty, his body was shaky and twitchy, and he was so tense she was sure his armor was struggling to stay on his body.

"Ok then what did you do to Marluxia to make him—" she replied and she made a circular motioned at his head whiles she struggled to find the right words.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just go I have a headache," Terra complained impatiently as he firmly grabbed her forearm and began tugging her to the central square.

Something was definitely wrong. Terra hadn't yanked her anywhere like this is months. She couldn't remember the last time he had treated her like this, but she let him do it anyway. Aqua didn't feel like fighting with him and honestly his current mood frightened her a bit. It reminded her of how he used to treat her…he was reverting into old habits.

Aqua withstood the forceful tugging as long as she could. She thought she could tolerate it but she couldn't. His grip was bitter and rough and it hurt her arm. He was quiet and irate and she couldn't tolerate it anymore.

"Stop it!" the sapphire female snapped as she snatched her arm away from him and backed away from him, "What is going on? Why are you so eager to get me back to Tarnen?"

Terra watched her cobalt eyes swirl with suspicion and skepticism. Aqua glared at him until she heard a distant voice.

"The governor of Naefre is here for some negotiations with the Overlords. It's his airship that is waiting outside the outer gardens. It is not an Opposition ship. There is no need to worry I am sure he is leaving soon," she heard a random guard speaking to a concerned civilian nearby.

While watching and listening to the brief exchange between the armored guard and the old woman she suddenly understood what was wrong. Diz was in the Dark Capital...He was trying to keep her away from Diz…he was trying to keep her from escaping…from being rescued…he knew…he knew Diz was here.

The knight could see it in her eyes. She was going to run just like she had in Amur. Cerulean orbs shone with feral determination and unwavering resolve.

"Don't," Terra heeded cautiously and held his hand out for her as if it would calm or stop her.

Aqua didn't speak, but she continued to hesitantly back away from him. This was it. She might not get another chance…this may be here only opportunity to get help...she needed to try...she had to try…she could either make a run for it or she could stay here and become a Black Mage... When Terra took a step toward her Aqua used every ounce of her strength to summon a huge, thick wall of ice between them before she dashed across the square.

"Fuck!" Terra roared as his temper flared and his body temperature rose to unnatural levels.

Dark Firaga consumed his body before he charged through the seemingly impenetrable wall of ice. Shards of ice scattered and sparkled like crystal when the afternoon sun gleamed through them. The frozen liquid that had latched onto Terra's heated body quickly melted, turned to steam, or rolled off his scalding armor.

The Light Keyblade wielder was frantic. She had no plan at that moment but she knew that she couldn't let Terra catch her. She had to find Diz. If she found Diz she would have some form of assistance and someone on her side…but she didn't know where he was. All she could do was try to outsmart Terra.

_The guard said Diz's airship was outside the outer gardens. I have to get to the outer gardens _Aqua thought while she ran as fast as she possibly could between the homes of the central square.

Aqua knew that she was going back toward the castle town but that was her intention, it would be easier to lose Terra within the narrow passageways the cottage like homes and establishments created. She intentionally ran in circles and in illogical patterns to throw off any pursuers and especially Terra.

She could hear the unholy clanking of his armor. She could almost feel his scorching breath creeping up the back of her chilled neck as he closed in on her. He felt much closer than he actually was. Aqua's heart had never pounded so hard within her chest and she hadn't been this terrified since the last time Terra had chased her through a town.

_I won't get caught this time. I can't. I know Hollow Bastion's layout more than I knew Amur's…it will be different this time…_she privately encouraged herself as she ran.

The persistent girl froze countless guards to building sides as untamable, ferocious diamond dust smothered her body. Her magic was off and wild. Once she fully released her pent-up magic and her adrenaline helped her fight the remaining magic suppressant she could hardly control her abilities. She wanted to stop. She knew she was probably leaving a trail of ice for Terra to follow but everything about her magic was savage and uncontrollable.

Aqua had made her way back to the central square and she hurtled through countless amounts of people and guards. Her heart stopped when she saw Vanitas's armor shining within the crowd but she didn't stop running. As she bolted through the multitude she desperately wished she were a brunette or a blonde; it would be much easier for her to hide if she didn't have such distinct features to follow. The infernal clanking of Terra's armor had faded. It was not as close or as thunderous but she couldn't let her guard down. If Terra caught her it would be over.

_I can't let him get me…I can't let him get me…_

Lungs burned, nerves sizzled, muscles throbbed, and blood pumped as she ran. It was getting harder for her to fend off the magic suppressant. The floodgates had been released but she was running out of water, the torrent of liquid was turning into a feeble stream. Aqua needed to be faster and she had to head for the outer gardens, she couldn't waste anymore time. She needed to make a clear break for it.

Her esophagus was on fire. The harsh chill of late autumn made it harder to run for long periods of time. The frigid air swarmed down her raw throat and prickled into her lungs. Every swallow and every breath was gradually becoming utter torment.

Aqua's plan had changed. She was no longer trying to outsmart Terra, now she was merely trying to find Diz before he had the chance stop her. All she had to do was get Diz's attention. That was her goal.

Terra was gaining again and Aqua didn't know how long she could keep fending off the hoards of guards that continually tried to stop her. They were using up the magic she needed to be saving for Terra if he got too close, but she could not help it, she had to do what she had to do. Aqua was hopelessly outnumbered and it was suddenly brutally clear why she had never tried to make a run for it before.

She could hear Terra barking orders. She could hear his fury and his frustration in every syllable even though she couldn't decipher his words. He was angry, he was very angry. Terra wasn't chasing her anymore, the Dark Knight was.

_No. Stop thinking about him! Stop thinking about the differences between them! It doesn't matter! He is the same person! There is not a difference! Terra is the Dark Knight! He is the savage! He is the man who put those scars on your wrists and you know he would do it again if he had to! _

As Aqua ran through the entryway that led to the outer gardens she continued to fight her confusing, conflicting thoughts and she was becoming more and more frustrated with herself. This was not the time to be having a complicated and contradictory inner dispute about Terra. She didn't need to be thinking about that, she didn't need to be thinking about him being a person or how she might miss him when she got away.

Cobalt eyes gazed at the drying blood on her sleeve. It mattered. She would be lying if she said that it didn't. Terra mattered. In some weird, unorthodox way that she would never understand, he mattered but it didn't change anything. It didn't change the fact that she had to get out of Hollow Bastion and she had to get away from him. They were enemies and the only reason she tolerated him and had some form of relationship with him was because she had been forced to. She didn't have a choice…

Her mind stopped racing the instant she reached the outer gardens. Graceful feet flew over the lavender cobblestone of the outer gardens and she could see him, she could barely see Diz in the distance. He was about to board his ship.

Before Aqua could scream for him or one of his guards escorting him through Hollow Bastion a huge slab of earth erupted from the ground and tripped her. A faint cry sprung from her singed throat. She tumbled forward and her inertia caused her to roll and flip all over the jagged ground. Aqua grunted and groaned as her body flailed uncontrollably across the sharp edges of the cobblestone.

When her body stopped moving Terra was on top of her and he was trying to pin her to the outdoor flooring. She quickly kicked at him and shot icy daggers into his armor. The warrior wailed and Aqua rolled out from under him and continued to head into the direction of the airship. The azure female frantically crawled away from the man behind her but he seized her ankle and aggressively hauled her back onto the ground. The young woman shrieked and desperately clawed at the ground in front of her as she was drawn back toward the knight that was foaming at the mouth. Reflexively, Aqua spun around and used her free leg to strike Terra across his face before she successfully rose to her feet. She didn't know how bad she had hurt Terra but she didn't really care, he could heal himself.

"Diz!" the cerulean Keyblade wielder cried but she was too far away and no one could hear her.

Aqua reached the fountain that sat in the center of the outer gardens. It was the fountain she had hidden behind the night of the Fall Banquet when she left the party. Where_ he_ had found her after Larxene and her friends had spoken badly of her...where she had first joked around with _him._..

Her mind wasn't able to wander anymore. Terra had once again tackled her to the unforgiving ground, but Aqua wasn't having it. She fought his hands as they wrestled with one another on top of the moss covered cobblestone. He was easily stronger than her but she kept trying to maneuver out of his bitter clutches. The sapphire maiden was getting tired. Her magic was almost used up and her arms and legs were turning into jelly as a result. She had overexerted herself.

They did not speak while they struggled on the mossy surface beside the fountain. Aqua didn't yell at him and he didn't yell at her. The young woman would grunt and whimper in vexation but Terra was deadly silent as he tried to conquer her. With the last of her strength Aqua used a weak glacial spell to shove Terra off of her.

The aquamarine female managed to get to her feet and she could see Diz about to board the ship. She took a step toward the blackened gates that separated her from Diz. The gates were far away but she could still get to them if she hurried.

Terra's hand enveloped her wrist and forcefully reeled her back toward him. Just as Aqua was about to scream, Terra roughly grabbed both of Aqua's shoulders and brutally slammed her back into one of the pillars that decorated the corners of the extravagant fountain. Bright sky blue eyes went wide as all the air inside Aqua's lungs made a fierce retreat and her mouth gasped for air. The scratchy, barbed texture of the column dug into her back as it tore and ripped apart her ivory skin. Her ribs splintered and her lungs deflated while Terra continued to push the rocky surface of the pillar into her back.

A gruff hand clasped over her quivering mouth to keep her from calling attention to herself. The Dark Knight knew she would scream for Diz the instant the air returned to her lungs and the initial pain of being savagely crashed into a stone monument subsided.

Terra deliberately hid her behind the pillar while he watched Diz look through the thin, ebony bars of the gate. The knight was sure the bizarre man had faintly heard Aqua call his name, but it wasn't enough to make the man suspicious enough to reenter the city. If Terra could hide Aqua and keep her from making any more noise the man would leave and this horrible, catastrophic incident would finally end.

Aqua couldn't move anymore, she couldn't even breathe properly. Her body was numb from strain and the pain surging through her entire back and ribs. The only thing she could do was stand and listen to her only hope of escape leave. Diz was so close, his airship was so close but she couldn't get to either…Terra had made sure of that…

Royal blue eyes glared at the airship while he firmly held Aqua's mouth shut and pressed her to the rocky monument. He watched his captive's face as the ship began its takeoff. The cobalt girl closed her eyes and listened to hum of the ship's engine slowly fade.

Once the airship was far enough away Terra released the Child of Light. Aqua slid down the stone pillar, took a few hastened steps away from Terra, and crumpled to the ground.

"Stop running from me!" Terra finally scolded once he was sure no unwanted ears would hear him.

"NO!" Aqua screamed at the top of her lungs before her face lifted so she could glare at him. Her eyes were wild and full of hurt.

"As long as I am trapped here I will never stop trying to get out!" she continued to screech while she broke down on the lavender cobblestone, "And if that means running from you then I will run forever! As long as there is a breath left in my body I will strive against this! I won't stop!" Aqua proclaimed feverishly and backed away from the man who had once again harmed her.

Terra was harshly reminded that this was why they could never truly be together. This was why their relationship could never work. When it came down to it they were enemies. It didn't matter what happened in between their fights in the end, chaos and conflict would be the only result. Their moments of peace and contentment could not change the fact that they were on completely different sides of the spectrum. At the end of the day she hated him and he was just as much her foe as she was his.

"Get up," Terra spat, placing his hands on his hips.

He would have to take her to the Overlords. Normally he would have pretended that this never happened but there had been too many witnesses and unfortunately Vanitas was one of those witnesses. The Dark Overlords and the Court would have to be informed that she tried to escape, but the cerulean young woman didn't get up. She shook her head back and forth while she continued to hold her crumpled position on the ground.

"Get up," he repeated a bit more sternly and walked toward her.

Aqua saw no point in getting up. She knew if she did she would be taken to the Overlords for her escape attempt and she didn't feel like being cooperative. Why would she willingly go to her trial? Why would she go just to hear them say that she was to be executed?

Terra bent down and hooked his hand around her elbow only to have her harshly yank her arm away from his deplorable grip.

"Damn it, Aqua, get up!" the knight bellowed and grabbed her by her arms but before he could lift her to her feet she jerked away from him and started crawling in the opposite direction.

"STOP IT!" the Dark Knight roared, "I am about to grab you by the nape of your hair and drag you to the Overlords myself! I SAID GET UP!"

It wasn't an option anymore. Terra hauled Aqua up by her waist. He grabbed her wrist and began yanking her to the Palace of Retribution.

"How could you be so fucking stupid?" he hissed while he fiercely pulled and tugged her through the city.

When they reentered the central square, Terra saw that Vanitas was waiting for them.

"Did you get her?" Vanitas asked casually while resting his elbows on one of the store windows.

"Yeah. Thanks for helping," Terra growled sharply before he passed Vanitas.

Vanitas had seen Aqua make a break for it, but he made no effort to help Terra. Terra was sure the Vanitas probably wanted her to get away or get really close to it. The more she did the harsher her sentence would be and the harsher Terra's punishment would be. The bronze knight knew Vanitas would thoroughly enjoy both. He knew his foster brother wanted Aqua dead and him miserable.

"Didn't make it did you white whore?" the crimson warrior asked deviously, "Oh well. Better luck next time."

* * *

"Wait here," Terra instructed vacantly and pointed to a bench that sat within the oversized foyer.

They were outside the Round Room within the Palace of Retribution. The Round Room was where the Court met to hold trials and important discussions. The Court had been summoned and a meeting was about to be held to discuss Aqua's latest impudent endeavor.

"I'll come get you if you are wanted. I will try to keep you out of it and I'll see if this can be handled without a trial," he continued but he didn't look at her, "I'll do all that I can. I promise."

Aqua nodded impassively and Terra disappeared into the Round Room, his armor clanking and his cape rustling as he went. She knew it would come to this if her escape attempt was unsuccessful and she was willing to accept it. The azure Keyblade wielder would take her sentencing honorably.

_I tried. No one can say I didn't try…_she thought before closing her eyes and holding her aching ribs in her hands.

The Light Keyblade wielder took her seat on the bench but she didn't rest her aching back on the wall...it hurt to much. Her sweater was ruined and covered in grime and blood. The fabric that made up the back of the garment was ripped to shreds by the rugged column Terra had slammed her into. She didn't want to know how bad her back looked...she didn't want to see her mangled flesh or the intense lacerations and gashes that surely covered her mutilated vertebral column.

The rehabilitation subject sat obediently on the bench and listened to the bone-chilling murmur of the Court. Once she got tired of sitting on the bench she stood and began pacing around the blackened hallway with crimson carpet. Aqua counted the suits of armor in the hall. Then she started counting the number of Dark Realm tapestries draped throughout the passageway. After that she was planning on counting the ruby columns that supported the enormous corridor.

"Terra is going to execute you," Larxene's toxic voice stated as she emerged from behind one of the many support beams within the foyer. She crossed her arms and leaned on the pillar. The seer inspected her nails with an absolutely delighted look on her face.

Larxene was in one of her typical haute couture dresses. Her sleek, chin length hair hung flawlessly around her stunning face while the tight black dress with gray lightening bolts around her ribs and bust clung to her womanly figure. Aqua couldn't help but notice the contrast between herself and the sophisticated Seer Sage. While she was in a torn sweater covered in blood and filth, Larxene looked as if she was about to attend a fancy banquet.

"Really. He is," the nymph insisted and her unfriendly jade eyes left her sharp nails to dive into Aqua's orbs of blue.

"Shut up, Larxene," the etherial maiden countered coldly and walked further into the hallway to get away from the Seer Sage.

"You tried to escape," Larxene said arrogantly as she followed the blue-haired girl, "It's over blue bird. It's time to clip your wings so you will never fly again. And I'm going to watch Terra do it."

A diabolical smile bloomed across Larxene's pink lips.

"Terra wouldn't do that to me," Aqua challenged optimistically and turned to face the blonde seeress.

"Oh he would if the Court demanded it," Larxene assured the Child of Light menacingly, "And they will."

The instant the velvety threat left the female seer's spiteful mouth, Larxene's hands latched onto Aqua's temples. All at once Aqua was being electrocuted from the inside out. Sapphire eyes closed and visions started to cram into her unsuspecting brain. She could see what Larxene had seen.

The cerulean girl saw an unfeeling Terra crushing her to death with gigantic chunks of earth. She saw him stabbing her through the heart with his Keyblade. She saw him shooting a sharp, long rock into her stomach. She saw herself being burned at the stake by Dark Firaga while Terra watched her with emotionless eyes, his arms folded over his powerful chest.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Aqua shouted and desperately tried to remove Larxene's claws that were burrowing her temples.

The Light Keyblade wielder was convulsing as the electric current rolled through her. Her eyes felt as if they were melting. She knew that they were turning to mush and could slowly pour from her empty eye sockets once she dared to open her eye lids. Porcelain fingers scratched at the seer's dangerous but dainty hands. Aqua had managed to keep the seeress from shoving another haunting vision into her head but she couldn't get the electrical assault to cease.

"Running is strictly forbidden," Larxene reminded her while her claw like nails carved holes into the sides of Aqua's distressed head, "You have behaved so far but it won't do you any good now."

Aqua thrashed and pushed at the sadistic seer but Larxene wouldn't budge. The aquamarine female continued to shake uncontrollably as her body kept channeling the immoral lightning Larxene propelled into every cell of her body. Cobalt eyes closed tightly but Aqua continued to fend off the disturbing visions.

"You broke the one rule you were forbidden to break," Larxene hissed as she finally retracted her electric claws from Aqua's temples and finally let the sapphire maiden reel backwards, "Terra can't save you from this."

_**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you liked the chapter! **_

**_RESISTANCE 123: The Elders' opinion on Terra and Aqua's relationship will be addressed in the next chapter and it will explain why they aren't too concerned about Terra rising against them or sacrificing himself for Aqua. I don't want to ruin anything but there is a reason they aren't too worried about their growing relationship. Just be patient with me! And I love your Lightning idea and I hate that I didn't think of something like that when I started this story. I will definitely think on it! I think that the idea of Lightning being a Dark Knight (or something to that effect) could totally become a story on its own! And an awesome one at that! Thanks so much for reviewing!  
_**


End file.
